Pretty When You Cry
by Torchwhovian
Summary: Charlie Dubois is the only human from a pack of feral mutants. After a decade of being on her own, she runs into a feral who opens doors she thought were previously locked. She has to weigh the costs and decide if it's worth being tied to Victor Creed for the remainder of her life. Victor/SabertoothXOC
1. Chapter 1

"What'll it be?" I asked the man with claws (yes, actual claws) and a set of sideburns that belonged several decades in the past. He looked up at me and his eyes roamed over my figure. Whatever. The more I flirted, the better tips I got.

"Glenn McKenna." He grinned and I got a glimpse of fangs. "Make it a double." 

"Comin' right up." I smiled at him and poured his drink, sliding the glass to him. "You must be new here."

"What gave me away?" He chuckled.

"Lucky guess. What brings you to our little town?" I took a drink of my bottle of water and asked, "Business or pleasure?"

"Mostly pleasure." He sipped his drink and smirked at me. "What time you off?"

"Depends on how well you do your job." I said coyly, tossing him a wink before I went to approach another customer. Claws or not, something told me that the stranger knew his way around a bedroom and it had been a couple of weeks since my last romp in the sack. Besides, if anything seemed weird, I had my taser.

The bar was busy that night and I easily made a couple hundred bucks in tips tonight. Seeing as how I had plans, however, I opted to leave most of the money in the safe, sealed in an envelope. It'd be here in the morning. The handsome stranger sat at the bar most of the night, downing several more drinks silently with the occasional smirk sent my way.

"Meet you outside?" I asked him while I closed up.

"If you're lucky."

I rolled my eyes at his taunt then finished wiping down the bar and sending the glasses to the dishwasher. It was the same routine and it didn't take long. I pulled on my blue sweater and went out to meet my companion for the night. "Name's Charlie, by the way."

"Victor." He grunted as we walked to my car. The drive to my place was short and there was no need for small talk. I got the distinct feeling I wouldn't be his first one night stand. I unlocked my front door and put my keys in the bowl by the front door. Victor put his index finger at the top button of the vest I had been wearing and cut the thread with his claw, making the button clatter to the floor. The rest of the buttons followed quickly after and he covered my mouth, his tongue shoving its way into my mouth. He grabbed my ass and picked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist. I felt his claws dig into my skin and I hissed in pain. He responded with a moan, moving to bite at my neck and dig his claws deeper into my thighs. I whimpered and he moaned again, shoving his groin against me. The hard length there told me that I would be sore in the morning. Victor put me down long enough to slide his claws under the fabric of my shirt and shredded it so it fell to the floor in a tattered heap.

"I liked that shirt." I grumbled, gasping when he bit my neck again.

"Shut the hell up." He snarled in my ear and the rumble of his voice made me shiver.

"Bedroom's upstairs." I managed before he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom, my legs once again around his waist. He made it up the stairs in record time, literally throwing me on my bed when I sucked on his neck. While he discarded his clothes faster than I thought possible, I shimmied out of my jeans and tossed them to the side. With a growl, Victor was on top of me and his hands were tangled in my hair.

"Say you're mine." His breath was hot on my skin and he ground himself against me.

"I'm yours." I breathed and a growl rumbled deep in his chest.

"Good girl."

-0-

I could barely move the next morning but I managed to drag myself out of bed. Victor was snoring after finally having fallen asleep an hour ago or so. He had been insatiable and I found myself oddly aroused by his animalistic tendencies in bed. I stretched my back then found a tank top and a pair of sweat pants, lacing up my tennis shoes last. Sleeping was useless at this point because I was too awake to fall asleep so I decided to go for a run and keep part of my schedule the same. Besides, isn't sleep deprivation the reason coffee was invented?

I didn't bother locking the door behind me because if anybody got past Victor, they deserved to keep whatever they took. My legs were stiff so I walked a block or two before starting my jog and before long, the ache was replaced with a familiar burn that I welcomed. Two miles had been all I'd been able to do before the ache set in again so I headed home. I heard Victor's rumbling snore when I walked in, quickly followed by my stomach growling. Big breakfasts had always been tradition in my family, regardless of the day of the week, and I had to admit that pancakes and some bacon sounded pretty good right now.

The bacon was done and the last few pancakes were being flipped when Victor finally decided to grace me with his presence, dropping onto one of my kitchen chairs and snagging a piece of bacon. We divided the food and ate it in mostly silence.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" Victor asked but his tone didn't say it as a compliment but rather as if it was a fact. He licked some bacon grease off his lips and added, "Especially when you cry."

"Thanks?" I replied, clearing my dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. "I'm going to grab a shower-"

"Don't mind if I do." Victor interrupted me.

"It wasn't an invitation." I informed him as he closed the distance between us, pinning me against the refrigerator.

"Yes, it was." He chuckled but it didn't reach his eyes. Victor lowered his head like he was going to kiss me but his lips only brushed mine as he commanded, "Get your ass upstairs."

-0-

Victor watched his carnal companion dress herself with a small blue dress that fell the middle of her thighs and complimented her cream colored skin. She had some tool to curl her hair and he found that he preferred the chocolate tresses straight. Not that it mattered to him but if he was going to be in town for a few more days, he sure as hell wasn't giving up his play thing and she damn well better fix her appearance to his tastes. Her ice blue eyes glanced at him and he smirked, making no move to leave her bed.

"I have plans for today." Charlie said, slipping into her favorite black ballet flats.

"Don't let me keep you." Victor put his arms behind his head and chuckled. He could smell her irritation in her spicy scent, which smelled like a top shelf whiskey. Spicy with a bite to it. He watched her roll her eyes and huff before storming out of the room. He heard the door slam behind her and rolled over to get some more sleep. The damn vixen had kept him up all night.

**A/N: This was just an idea that refused to rest after watching X-Men and then listening to **_**"Pretty When You Cry" **_** By Vast. They won't be falling in love (if they even decide to) in the first few chapters but it will be a tumultuous relationship. Leave a review and let me know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

"You're late." Maddie pointed out as I finally ran up to her at the mall. Her arms were crossed but I knew she wasn't really mad at me.

"I know." I handed her the apology muffin I picked up on the way over. "I'm sorry."

"Who is he?" Maddie picked a chocolate chip out of the muffin and popped it in her mouth, nudging me as we walked to a store.

"Who's who?" I asked innocently, checking the price of a deep purple sweater.

"The guy who marked you with the love bites." She countered. "Is it the waiter with the lazy eye? I thought you were over him."

"It's just someone who's in town for a few days." I shrugged and held a yellow dress to her frame, glancing up for her approval. "It'd look good on you."

"Yellow with blonde hair?" Maddie raised an eyebrow and returned the dress to the rack. "I don't think so. Tell me about this guy."

"Nothing special. He's a one night stand." I turned to face Maddie and realized I was talking to myself when I saw her chatting up what appeared to be a single father. I had to admire her technique though because most people don't work that fast. She accepted his phone number with a mega watt smile and sauntered back over to me.

"Guess who's got a date." She giggled and slipped her phone back in her pocket. Maddie checked her watch and said, "Do you need help moving anything at the bar? I've got some free time."

"We're good. I've got Steve as a bouncer tonight so if I need anything, I'll ask him." A baby cried and Maddie used her telekinetic abilities to levitate the child's pacifier to his mouth and silence his cries. A quick glance around the store told us that nobody saw her use her mutation but we left just to be safe. In a town as small as this one, it wasn't exactly a good thing to be a mutant. Personally, I had no problem with mutants. As long as they were nice to me, I'd be nice to them. That was my take on most people, actually. In the town of Cedar Ridge with a population of less than two thousand, it was best to blend in. Maddie was one of the nicest people I had ever met and was a nurse at our local hospital. She had been my best friend since we were kids. She also took it upon herself to help keep me safe or give me a hand around the bar if needed, despite my protests that I could take care of myself.

We parted ways after lunch and I was certain Victor wouldn't be at my house when I arrived. I was not disappointed to find him gone but I was definitely pissed off when I found the sheets torn to shreds and my pillows weren't much more than piles of feathers. With a sigh, I turned on my heel and went to buy new sheets and pillows.

-0-

Victor returned to the vixen's house to find it empty but crisp new sheets and fluffy new pillows occupying the bed. He was less than thrilled about Charlie being gone because she was surprisingly agile for a human and he was bored. It might be worth considering to take her with him when he left town as long as she wasn't too much of a pain in the ass. He licked blood off his claws and decided he needed a drink. And he knew exactly where to get it.

-0-

"Can we get the drink orders to the tables, please?" I asked the waitress, Lyndsay, as she rolled her eyes at me. "We make tips by delivering drinks."

"We make tips by flirting with the customers." Lyndsay retorted but took the tray of drinks I had made and went to serve them. If the way she was throwing herself at the table with two very attractive men, she was going to do well tonight.

"Glenn McKenna." Victor's voice made me roll my eyes as I turned to him. He smirked at me when I gave him the drink.

"What are you doing here?"

"Not real bright, are you?" He narrowed his eyes at me and downed his drink in a gulp. Victor gestured for me to refill it, which I did with a huff.

"You destroyed my bedroom."

"Do you ever quit bitching?"

"Excuse me?" I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Where do you get off talking to me like that?"

"As I recall, your bedroom." Victor chuckled and I had to clench my fists to keep myself from smacking him. "And the bathroom and kitchen."

Lucky for Victor, Lyndsay came back with another drink order and I was distracted. It only took a minute to fix the drinks and then my energy was spent ignoring Victor. I could feel him glare at me but I pushed it away and went to the stockroom to find more pretzels and peanuts.

"I don't like being ignored." His voice made me jump and I shivered involuntarily.

"You should get used to disappointment." I remarked as I turned around. "I don't belong to you and I don't owe you my attention."

"You're wrong." Victor snarled and the sound was animalistic. He had my wrists pinned above my head and my body shoved against the shelves before the pretzels hit the floor. His claws dug into my skin and I felt blood run down my forearm. He leaned forward and his tongue licked up the blood, an action that should have repulsed me but I am ashamed to say that it turned me on. "You'd do well to remember that if you don't give me what I want, I will take it."

Victor's head snapped around before he said, "Stay."

Glass breaking made me ignore his command and I ventured out to find a bar fight going on. Victor had his claws buried deep into a man's shoulder and the poor man was howling. I grabbed the baseball bat and shouted, "Hey! Break it up!"

A gunshot was deafening and the world seemed to stop as pain registered in my stomach. Warmth spread down my shirt and I touched my fingers to it, raising them to my line of sight to see them soaked in crimson. A squeak passed my lips and I heard Victor growl as I dropped to the ground. The world drained away and I fell into silence.

**A/N: Leave a review to let me know what you think. I don't bruise easily and all reviews are used to make my writing better. **


	3. Chapter 3

"I ate your Jell-o cup." Maddie's voice helped bring me out of a morphine induced nap. The room slowly came into focus and I saw her sitting next to me with her feet on the bed. My throat felt like sandpaper and I pushed the button to raise the bed so I could get a drink. Maddie was finishing off the Jell-o cup and smiled at me. "You know how you keep asking me to come get a drink at your bar and I keep saying no?"

"Sure." I gulped some water.

"Yeah, this is why." She gestured to my stomach.

"You help me lift stuff."

"Because nobody is ever there." Maddie put the cup and plastic spoon on the tray and checked my IV without getting up. "What happened anyway?"

"Bar fight." I replied, putting the cup on the tray and rested on the pillows. "When can I get out of here?"

"You got shot, sweets. You'll be fine but you have to take it easy for a few days." Maddie clicked through the TV channels. "Your boss called and said take some time off and I'm taking you home when you're discharged."

"When will that be?"

"Dunno." Maddie winked at me and she clicked on the news.

"_Police have found the body of a man who was involved in an altercation at O'Leary's Pub earlier this week. The cause of death seems as though he was attacked by an animal. Officals are on the look out for a cougar in the area and citizens are advised to be cautious." _

They showed a picture of his face and I felt my blood chill. "Mads, he's the one who shot me."

"You should tell the cops who he is." Maddie took her feet off the bed and sat up straight before changing the channel.

"I don't know who he is. The last I saw him, Victor had him pinned on the ground." I shrugged.

"Tell me more about this Victor." Maddie turned the volume down.

"I think he's a mutant. He's got claws like a tiger or something—" Maddie had gone pale. "What's wrong?"

"Victor Creed?" She asked for clarification.

"He never told me his last name." She had started gathering my clothes and keys, shoving my clothes at me. "What's going on?"

"We need to leave." Maddie said, fear in her voice. "If Victor Creed has your scent and likes you, he's not going to give you up."

"No, it was just a one night stand." I tried to assure her. "Maddie, it's fine."

"Victor Creed is a psychopath." Maddie stopped and her voice was serious as death. "He's an animal and kills whatever and whenever he wants. If he's decided to claim you as his mate, you're as good as dead."

"We can get the police. They can help us."

Maddie scoffed and yanked the blankets back. She pointed to the scar on her neck that traveled down the front of her chest. "He did this to me and he was just toying with me and there's a good chance he killed that man who accidentally hurt you. Creed is dangerous."

I got dressed quickly and she took me back to my house, ushering me inside the door and standing guard. "Get what you need and then we leave."

I was shoving clothes in my duffel bag when something caught my eye. A bottle of Glenn McKenna sat on the dresser with a message carved into the mahogany.

_Get Better_

_V_

It was a common thing to say when someone was hurt but it sent a chill down my spine. Snatching my bag off the bed and shoving a few toiletries into it, I joined Maddie downstairs but she wasn't at the door. "Mads?"

I went into the kitchen where I saw Victor holding Maddie by her throat, her feet several feet off the ground. She was clawing at his hands, trying desperately to get a single breath when Victor snarled. "You weren't planning on running, were you?"

"Let her go." My voice trembled.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to run from a predator?" Victor squeezed her throat tighter and Maddie choked. Suddenly, a chair flew past me and into Victor's back, loosening his grip enough for Maddie to kick his chest and get free. She gulped air greedily as she tried to stand before Victor was on her again.

"Run Charlie!" Maddie shouted, barely holding Victor's claws away from her throat. I felt something shoving me toward the door and knew that she was using her mutation on me and also that anything she wasn't focusing on Victor meant less chance of her winning. But I couldn't leave her there either. A second later, she stopped shoving me and I grabbed a cast iron skillet from the hanging rack and put all my strength behind it when I slammed it into Victor's head. It knocked him off of Maddie and I smacked him again for good measure. He slumped against the ground and I helped Maddie up and out to the car.

"You didn't need to save me." Maddie was still rattled and her hands were shaking as she tried to buckle her seat belt.

"Shut up." Jamming the keys into the ignition and slamming it into reverse, we made our getaway. I wasn't able to relax until we were several states away.

-0-

We made our new home in Las Vegas and while I wasn't able to find a job as a bartender I did find one as a stripper. Not the most morally sound business but it paid well and the bouncers at the club were mutants, a telepath and a strength mutantation respectively. As it turns out, my mutant radar is nonexistent but once I found out they were mutants and they knew what was going on, they promised to keep Victor away and I trusted them. The club paid them well but I gave them a little extra out of my tips as a thanks.

Being a stripper wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. The customers (for the most part) were well behaved and followed the rules that were set. I was a better dancer than I thought. Most of my dancing was limited to my kitchen while 80's rock blasted through the house. I was tipped well and had almost forgotten about Victor entirely when one of the more well to do customers asked me on a date.

"Sorry but it's policy to not date customers." I gave him a sympathetic smile. I really did feel bad about it. James was a businessman (a rather successful one if my tips were any indication), and very attractive with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Who's policy would that be?" James inquired with a chuckle. "Yours or the manager's?"

"Mine." I replied, glancing at the clock. My shift was over. "I gotta go but I'll see you."

I went to change into my streetclothes, which consisted of jeans, sneakers, and my favorite oversized blue sweater. The strap of my bag went over my shoulder and I was paying for coffee from the coffee truck across the street when James approached the truck. Handing a few bills to the cashier he said, "I've got it."

"Thanks." Taking a careful sip of my coffee I asked, "Do you always buy coffee for the girls when they get off?"

"Just the special ones." James smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Nope but thank you. I've got plans." Blowing some steam off the coffee, I took another drink.

"She wounds me." James put one hand over his heart mockingly and laughed. "What's his name so I can buy him off?"

Now it was my turn to laugh. "I wouldn't want you to spend all of your money. Come on. You can come with me."

My plans were to sit on a bus bench a mile or so from the club and watch the sun rise. We sat there, drinking coffee and chatting as the sun rose, casting pinks and oranges over the sky. "You do this every morning?"

"Yep." I had my eyes on the horizon, a smile on my lips, and said, "It's different every morning."

"Same time tomorrow?" James asked.

"I don't date customers." I reminded him, standing and throwing away my coffee cup in the trash.

"Then I won't go to the club anymore." James tossed his cup in the trash as he stood. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure." I shook my head as I chuckled. "See you tomorrow."

**A/N: A big thanks to my first reviewers: Mantha921 and . You guys rock and I hope you enjoy the story. I also hope the follows/favoriters enjoy this chapter as well so please feel free to leave reviews. xo**


	4. Chapter 4

Victor scrubbed himself clean in the shower, standing under the hot water and ignoring the voice calling to him through the door. He heard the door open and close behind him, rolling his eyes when last night's lay yanked the curtain open. "Need some company?"

"No." He leaned his head back in the spray and washed the soap out of his short hair. "Get out."

"Victor, you know better than to kick me out." The feral female purred, running a finger down his chest. "You don't treat mates that way."

Victor grabbed her hand and squeezed it, savoring the sound of her whimpers. Leaning forward out of the spray of water, he snarled, "You're not my damn mate. Get the hell out."

He shoved her away, releasing her hand in the process then turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. Ignoring her as she yanked her clothes on and stormed out, Victor dressed and cracked his neck. Now, to find his vixen. He had followed her trail to Vegas but it was getting difficult to find exactly where she was. So many people and scents were mingled and it confused his senses. Right now the sun was coming up and it made the smells sharper. He was walking down a strip club filled boulevard when his nose picked up a spicy tinge in the air.

Victor spotted Charlie at a coffee truck and kept his distance to observe her. She paid the cashier with a smile and held her cup between two hands, inhaling the scent deeply. He followed her as she walked to a bus bench nearby and perched herself on the back of it. A growl rumbled deep in his chest when a man with blonde hair approached her and kissed her cheek, a cup of coffee in his own hand. Coffee man took a place next to Charlie and Victor mumbled to himself, "Well, he needs better taste in friends."

-0-

"So, can I take you out on a real date?" James asked me as he walked me to my car. "As much as I've enjoyed our coffee and sunrise this morning, it'd be nice to see you not at the crack of dawn."

"I'm off tonight." I stifled a yawn. Coffee could only do so much and I was ready to crawl into bed and sleep all day.

"How does 8 sound?" James held the car door open for me.

"Sounds good to me." I scrawled my number across his palm. "See you tonight."

James kissed my cheek again and closed the car door and I watched him disappear in my rearview mirror. Maddie was gone when I got home, a note waiting for me on the coffee table.

_Had to leave town. Don't look for me. _

A bad feeling made my stomach sink but she could take care of herself and she'd call if she needed help. At least, I hoped so as I crawled into bed and let sleep take over. My alarm went off too early but a sleepy glance at the clock told me it was six and time to shower. I grumbled to myself as I pulled myself out of bed and into the shower. By the time 7:30 rolled around, I was dressed in my favorite green dress that fell just barely to the top of my knees, grey tights, and a pair of black boots that Maddie had gotten for me.

-0-

Lucy did not like being dismissed, much less from her mate. She was an Alpha female for crying out loud. Following Victor had been easy. Once the man was focused on a target, nothing could deter him. She had found her competition for her mate's loyalty and the weakling would be no match for her. Knocking on the apartment that housed the weakling's scent, she smiled a mouthful of fangs when the woman answered.

"Can I help you?" She asked, either not noticing her fangs or choosing not to let them bother her.

"I think so." Lucy purred then brought a fist across the weakling's temple and letting her crumple to the floor. With a tone of disgust, she said, "Humans."

Dragging the weakling to her vehicle, Lucy opened the trunk and shoved her in. An assortment of dead animals littered the tiny space, diluting the human's scent enough so Victor wouldn't find her too soon. That'd ruin the game and her fun was just getting started.

-0-

I woke up in the dark and I tried to sit up when my hand brushed something warm and sticky. Putrid air invaded my nose, like rotting meat and I dug around for something to help me to observe my surroundings. A small flashlight illuminated the darkness and I almost wish it hadn't. Carcasses surrounded me and I screamed loudly when my gaze fell on a fawn's head, it's glossy eyes staring blankly at me. That seemed like a good time to panic. Kicking my feet against the walls of my confinement area, the metallic clunking sound told me it was a trunk of a car.

"Help! Somebody please help me!" I banged against the top of the trunk for a few seconds before the trunk popped open and I was temporarily blinded by the sudden light. The sweet smell of fresh oxygen hit my nose and I took a deep breath as I was yanked by my collar out of the trunk and shoved forward. My legs had fallen asleep during the trip, which caused me to stumble as I walked.

"Get up." A woman's voice snarled, gripping my bicep roughly and practically dragging me. My eyes were adjusting to the light and I could make out my surroundings, which consisted of a barn and then nothing but fields and woods. The woman, who had dark hair and green eyes that reminded me of a tiger's with claws that almost rivaled Victor's. She handcuffed my wrists together then tied a rope through the cuffs and stuffed a dirty rag in my mouth. The rope was attached to a pulley and she tugged me up, leaving me dangling at least ten feet in the air. The cuffs were already stinging my wrists and my eyes stung with tears prompted by fear.

"What do you want with me?" I sniffled. "I don't even know you!"

"Ah, but I know you." She purred, tying off the rope and checking the barn for weak points. "You are the one who has stolen my Alpha's attention and I can't have that. Do you know what happens when two females fight over the same male in the animal kingdom?"

"I'm not fighting you over a man." I stammered. "I swear. You can have James. Just let me go."

She threw her head back and laughed loudly. "I'm not talking about him, sweetie. I mean Victor. He's quite taken with you, you know."

"He's a psychopath. He tried to kill my best friend!" Looking down at her was making me dizzy. I was never very good with heights. "Let me go, please. I don't want Victor."

"It doesn't matter, weakling. He's going to come for you and when he does, he'll see that I am the better suited female for his needs." She grabbed a gasoline container and sloshed the liquid around the interior of the barn, working several minutes until the smell made me nauseous. "I'm only going to light one section of the barn at a time. If you escape before the whole thing collaspses or fries you, then you will only have on challenge left to face. Me."

Lighting a match, she tossed it in the north corner of the barn and the hay caught fire immediately. She sauntered out of the barn then paused by the door, ready to close it when she said, "You may want to hurry. We're several hours from your Vegas apartment so I wouldn't count on Victor saving you."

**A/N: A big thanks to those of you who have added this story to your alerts/favorites. While I do love and appreciate getting those notifications, remember that reviews go with stories like adamantium and Wolverine. Please leave a review on your way out and let me know what you think. I don't bruise easily and I've only seen the movies and not read the comics, so if I get anything wrong, please tell me. xo**


	5. Chapter 5

Struggling against the handcuffs did nothing but break the skin on my wrists and the fire was quickly spreading. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was crying pretty heavily while I contemplated how badly being burned alive was going to hurt. Smoke was filling the barn at an alarming rate and my lungs were starting to fill with it, making me cough. Suddenly, I was falling and dropped unceremoniously on the barn floor. The fire had burned through the anchor for the rope and while I was no longer hanging from the ceiling, my hands were still cuffed. That was a problem I'd solve later, right now I had to get out of this death trap. Fire was blocking the door but it was my only chance to get out so I did what no sane person should do. I screamed as I ran through the flames and out the door, then dropped to the ground to put out the fire that had spread to my jeans. A quick look around revealed that psycho lady was nowhere around but neither was the car she had used to bring me here.

Breathing deeply of the fresh air, I quickly contemplated my choices. Either run down this dirt road and try to find civilization or take my chances in the woods where I could hide if I needed to. My choice was made for me when I caught a glimpse of my kidnapper's vehicle coming towards me and I ran as fast as I could for the woods. The cuffs were a hindrance but I managed to make it to the tree line in time for me to hear the brakes squeal loudly in protest as she stopped the car. Branches scratched my face as I ran, not caring which direction it was as long as it was away from her. A scream echoed in the distance and something told me she realized that I was gone.

I tried to think calmly, as though there wasn't a predator on my tail. If I ran through water, could she still smell me? Or was that dogs? I took a chance when I came to a stream and barreled through it without hesitation. Something about her screamed 'feline' and cats could climb trees so it was in my best interest to stay on the ground. My chest was burning and begging for a break but I couldn't afford one until I found a safe place to hide. A cave caught my eye as I ran past it, making me double back and scramble awkwardly through the opening. I barely squeezed through and it made me confident to think that she couldn't fit through the small opening. I was trying to catch my breath when I heard her voice taunting me.

"Weakling..." She called, her voice getting closer. "Where did you go, mouse?"

I put my hands over my mouth to stifle the fearful sobs as I saw her legs pause outside of the opening. I heard her sniff the air and then giggle with blood thirsty glee. "I know you're here...why not make it easy on yourself and come out?"

When I didn't reveal myself, she continued. "Most predators don't like their meals laced with fear but I find that terror gives the meat such a...sweet taste."

Something nudged my foot then I felt something furry and huge press against my legs, its paws moving to rest in my lap. My eyes had adjusted to the partial darkness and I could make out the silhouette of a wolf. Fantastic.

"Come out now and I'll kill you mercifully."

The wolf's ears perked up at her words and she cocked her head to the side, with an inquisitive look on her face. I pressed my hands tighter against my face to keep any sounds from getting out while I wept silently. The wolf snuffled at my face then licked my cheek, no doubt tasting tears.

"I'm tired of this game." She snarled and I jumped as she ran through the woods, away from my cave. I could hear branches breaking as she ran, the woods around my location getting quieter the farther she got. I didn't move my hands from my mouth until I was sure she was gone then I tried not to panic as it finally sank into my head that a freaking wolf was staring me in the face.

"Um...hi. I'm having a really bad day," I said with a quivering voice. "So, if you could not eat me, I'd super appreciate it."

The wolf snorted then moved off of me, waiting for me to make my next move. When I remained sitting upright, it grabbed the sleeve of my dress and tugged on it gently until I laid down. When I was relatively comfortable, using my hands as a pillow, the wolf moved to lay in front of me, as though it was protecting me. The running and the crying had taken a lot of energy out of me, so I let myself close my eyes. Just for a minute.

-0-

When I woke up, it was dark and I was cold. Sitting up, the handcuffs reminded me of the events of the day. I had to get to a town or someplace safe where my kidnapper couldn't find me. I stretched the best I could in the confined space available then scrambled out of the cave, taking a few seconds to survey my surroundings. My wolfy companion was nowhere to be seen and I ventured into the woods with the intent of finding my way home. Thankfully the moon was full and gave me a pretty good line of vision so I didn't trip over anything.

"There you are." The voice made me tremble but I didn't bother to turn around, opting to run. I heard her chuckle then take off after me. She wasn't running as fast as she could because she could have easily caught me if she was. This crazy bitch was toying with me. I begged my legs to move faster but they were going as fast as they could when I tried to climb over a log. My right foot fell through a hole in the log and got stuck. I tugged on it as hard as I could but to no avail. I was stuck and my killer was fast approaching.

"Never run from a predator." She warned me as she sauntered forward, pausing roughly fifteen yards away from me. I tried to get free and the world seemed to slow as she lunged forward and I did the only thing I could think of. I screamed as loud as I could and squeezed my watering eyes closed against the sight of the tools of my execution when something landed in front of me with a snarl that made me shriek. I heard the sound of bodies colliding and when I opened my eyes, I saw Victor throwing my captor against a tree trunk. I could tell as they brawled that while she may be more agile, Victor was much stronger and it wasn't long before he had his claws buried in her chest. Shock and betrayal was plastered on her face as she slumped to the ground and Victor pulled his hand free then quickly came to my rescue. It took a second for him to break my foot free and use his claws to break me free of the handcuffs.

As soon as my hands were free, I threw my arms around Victor's neck and sobbed into his coat. He seemed taken aback for a moment then put one arm around my shoulders and the other around my knees, collecting me into his arms and carrying me out of the woods. He stole my captor's car and I drew my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs while he drove us to a motel. He carried me into the room he had rented, setting me carefully on the bed before kneeling in front of me and checking me for any wounds. My wrists were rubbed raw, my face had at least a dozen small cuts from branches, and my ankle ached but other than that I was okay. When he was satisfied, or at least less pissed, about my well being he handed me a glass that had some whiskey in it.

"Drink it. You're in shock." He ordered and I clutched the glass with a trembling hand. The amber liquid sloshed out of the glass and onto my dirty dress but I managed to get a drink, the burn in my throat making me cough. Victor surveyed my clothes and dirty face and hair then said, "Shower. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" I stammered, afraid to be alone.

"You need clothes." Victor said then left, locking the door behind him.

The shower did help clean the dirt off but it didn't make me feel better. The soap caused my wrists and the cuts on my face to sting but it was better than being dead so I didn't let it bother me. Victor was still gone when I exited the bathroom so I rummaged around in the motel supplied dresser and found one of his shirts. It fell to my knees but it would be better than being naked when he returned. My underwear were dirty so I hand washed them and hung them to dry on the towel rack before crawling into bed, wrapping the comforter around me tightly. The silence was deafening so I clicked on the TV and watched re-runs of _I Love Lucy _until he came back.

When Victor did return, he had a paper bag that smelled suspiciously like hamburgers and a bag that, presumably, had clothes in it. He tossed the plastic bag to me and I dug through it, thankfully finding underwear and pajamas as well as jeans and a few t shirts. I shoved the blanket back and got out of bed when he stiffened at the sight of me in his shirt.

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't have anything else." I explained quietly.

He put the food on the bed and moved closer, lowering his face to my neck and inhaling deeply, running his nose the length of my neck. "Keep it."

Then he moved away, allowing me to escape to the bathroom to change into fresh underwear and pajamas. When I came into the main room again, he growled at the sight of me in the sleep pants and tank top he had bought me. "What?"

"Nothing." Victor downed the liquor I hadn't drank before snapping, "Eat."

My stomach turned at the thought of food but I managed to eat one of the hamburgers. Victor pulled a tube of something from his pocket and pulled my wrists toward him when I was done eating. He had bought antibiotic ointment while he was out and applied it to my wrists with more tenderness than I would have expected from him. When he was satisfied with the ointment, he wrapped my wrists with gauzy bandages and secured them.

He released me and re capped the ointment then poured himself another drink. I took a sip of my own drink before I murmured, "Thank you for saving me."

Victor gave me a sideways glance but grunted an acknowledgement at me and I pressed my lips against his cheek gently before crawling further back to the bed and laying down. Sleep would be impossible (even if I hadn't slept in the cave) because anytime I closed my eyes, I saw my captor and my heart started to pound. Victor said nothing when I turned the TV back on and sometime around four in the morning, he laid on the bed next to me and was snoring within seconds. My body was begging for sleep by then so I turned the TV off and pulled the comforter up to my chin. I watched the clock for about an hour before I rolled over to face Victor and carefully scooted closer to him, pausing every time I moved to make sure I didn't wake him. I curled up next to him, close enough to smell the whiskey on his breath and I was finally able to sleep.

**A/N: Thanks to my two reviewers DragonessWitch92(guest) and PanIvy747. You guys are amazing and I love you. Thanks to those of you who have added this story to your alerts/favorites list. I love you guys too! Remember reviews go to stories like Professor X and telepathy so please leave on your way out. Let me know what you guys think. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Victor was gone when I woke up to the phone ringing in our motel room. I answered it with a groggy, "Hello?"

"Charlotte , êtes-vous d'accord?" (Charlotte, are you all right?) My mother's voice was worried and she spoke again before I could answer. "Nous avons entendu parler de la tentative sur votre vie." (We heard about the attempt on your life.)

"Oui, maman. Je suis sûr." (Yes, mama. I am safe.) I transitioned to French and sat up quickly.

"Est-elle morte?" (Is she dead?) Mama asked, referring to my captor.

"Oui." (Yes.) A lump rose in my throat and I coughed to clear it before asking the question that I was afraid to know the answer to. "Puis-je revenir à la maison?" (Can I come home?)

Silence fell over the line and I played nervously with the phone cord. I hadn't spoken to my mother in almost ten years and I missed her, as well as the rest of my family. A click told me that she hung up and I set the handset back in the cradle. My eyes threatened tears but I pushed them down, getting out of bed and digging through the clothes Victor had gotten for me, settling on a pair of jeans and a tank top. The button down shirt that had Victor gave me went over it. I barely pulled it on when Victor came back, smirking when he saw my clothes. "Get your shit. We're leaving in five."

"Where are we going?" I kept my voice soft, my mind still on my mother. Victor glanced sideways at me when he heard the waver in my voice.

"Just get your shit in the truck." Victor crossed the room to the dresser and started shoving his clothes in a duffel bag. "There's someone following us and I don't like being followed. Smells like trouble."

"You seem like the type who likes trouble." I commented.

"Not while you're in the crosshairs." Victor replied without pausing. It wasn't a declaration of love. Hell, it wasn't even a declaration of liking me but my family history gave me knowledge of what it was and it terrified me. A similar proclamation had changed my mother's life and not for the better. Victor grabbed my bag and pushed me toward the door. "Go."

I climbed in the truck that smelled like whiskey and blood, waiting for Victor to get in the other side and take us away. He had gone back into the room when I saw a male form follow him inside. The bright blonde hair was instantly recognizable, as were the snarls coming from the room. Scrambling out of the cab, I bolted for the room. "Victor!"

Victor was pinned beneath the blonde feral, who had his claws inches from Victor's face. Victor was strong but the blonde was stronger. I jumped onto the blonde's back and wrapped the crook of my arm around his neck, squeezing. "Christien , arrêter! C'est mon ami. C'est lui qui m'a sauvé!" (Christien, stop! He's my friend. He's the one who saved me!)

Christien growled and reached behind him, grabbing my shirt and throwing me off him. I smacked against the wall and fell to the floor, eliciting an ear splitting roar from Victor as he shoved Christien off of him. Victor attacked Christien before he could get off the floor, his hand wrapped around Christien's throat.

"Victor, stop! He's my brother!" I pleaded as my brother's face turned red. "Let him go."

Christien raised a hand and I saw a gleam of silver as a needle was shoved into Victor's wrist, his body going limp and falling to the ground a moment later. My brother was free of Victor's grip and another needle appeared. "Cela ne va pas faire mal, Lottie. Eh bien, pas grand-chose de toute façon." (This isn't going to hurt, Lottie. Well, not much anyway.)

-0-

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the canopy over my bed. It was white tulle and fell around the bedposts like something from a fairy tale. The next observation was the distinct lack of Victor, who if his behavior was any indication, would be less than pleased. Sitting up, I recognized my childhood room when the door opened and my mother stepped through it. "Hello, Charlotte."

My mother almost always spoke French, except when she was angry to disappointed. If she was here, then my father wouldn't be far behind and the thought made my stomach twist. "Hi, Mom."

"Your father has gone to speak with your...companion." Her green eyes traversed my appearance, as if trying to see what Victor and I had done in our time together. "He's been very aggressive and wishes to see you."

"Where is he?" I asked, straightening my shirt.

"I will have him brought here." Mother said in a clipped tone. Turning on her heel, she left me and I heard the lock click behind her. It seemed as though I was still a pariah. I heard shouting down the hall and it came closer, mingling with the sounds of chains. Victor must have been too much to handle for Christien. The thought made me chuckle as the door opened and Victor was shoved through. His wrists had shackles around them and he snapped at Christien.

"Can you unchain him?" I asked my brother, who shook his head. Instead, he held the key out to me and I extended my hand, allowing him to drop the key into my palm. Christien left before the key touched my skin and I unlocked Victor's manacles. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Victor was furious and deservedly so. He stalked towards me, making me walk backwards until I was against one of the posts of my bed. "You wanna explain to me why I just spent the night chained in a dungeon?"

"Technically, I think it's a basement." I offered, squeaking when he growled at me. In an attempt to deflect his anger, I turned my head to the side, baring my neck in a sign of submission. He nipped at the skin but the growl quieted and he seemed to calm down.

"Mr. Creed, bring your mate and follow me." Christien appeared once more, waiting impatiently for us to follow him. The halls of my family's home were polished marble and our shoes thumped on the tile floor as we walked to the dining hall. I could hear the clamoring of the rest of the family in the dining hall as they started dinner. There were at least twelve members of the family already eating and we were seated to the right of my father, who sat at the head of the table. A rare steak was placed in front of each of us. Victor glared at my father, who was tearing into his own meal.

"Eat, Mr. Creed." Father was surprisingly friendly to Victor while ignoring me completely. "If we meant you harm, you'd be dead."

"It's all right, Victor." I whispered to him, placing a hand on his knee. Father glared at me when I spoke and I silenced myself, turning to my dinner. Victor ate his meal and I ate what I could but my digestive system wasn't equipped to handle a steak that could have still been mooing.

Father took a drink from his wine glass and eyed Victor carefully before speaking. "We were quite pleased to find you with our daughter, Mr. Creed. Despite her unfortunate condition."

Victor raised an eyebrow as he chewed. "Condition?"

"As I'm sure you can tell, she is..." Father cleared his throat, glancing briefly at my mother. "_Human. _And there is no room for a human in our pack. At least not without a mate and now that she has been chosen by such a strong male, we can allow Charlotte to be a member of the pack."

I was surprised that Victor didn't answer so my father continued.

"We know about your sordid history. You are a sadistic man with blood on your hands but there are things I believe you could contribute to our family. You've already given value to Charlotte."

"What contributions do you think I'll be bringing?" Victor asked dryly.

"The heads of my enemies."

Victor smiled and there was a bloodthirsty gleam in his eye. Raising his glass to my father he said, "I believe we understand each other."

"Welcome to the pack, Mr. Creed."

**A/N: Thanks to the new followers/favoriters/readers. You guys rock. Leave a review on your way out and let me know what you think. Reviews are always used to make my writing better and I don't bruise easily. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Would you like to join myself and the other males of the pack in the den?" Francois gestured toward the room adjoining the dining hall. "After all, any pack members are welcome."

Victor accepted the invitation and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie ushered away by her mother and another female. Neither one of them touched her. In fact, no one touched her and they didn't speak directly to her. Any questions they had were directed to Victor. He observed Francois, the father of the vixen, as he chatted and laughed with his second in command. It was clear that Francois took it as a great burden to have a daughter that was human, a fact that was exacerbated by their close resemblance to one another. Francois had the same ice blue eyes and pale face framed by dark brown hair. The same cheekbones and even a similar smile but Francois had claws that extended past his fingertips, much like Victor's. His canines were sharp and pointed, obvious when Francois smiled.

"Did you know that my parents were members of Marie Antoinette's court in France?" Francois asked Victor, who cocked an eyebrow in lieu of a response. "My lovely wife and I have the largest and most influential pack in the country. It's truly a shame we haven't run into you before."

"That remains to be seen." Victor replied curtly.

"Yes, well," Francois cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Have you managed to mark Charlotte yet and make your claim known?"

"Unless you count the scratch marks on her ass," Victor relished the flash of anger in Francois' eyes before answering, "No." 

"When do you plan to claim her so that we may fully accept her into the pack?"

"When I damn well please, Frankie." Victor turned on his heel and left the den, using Charlie's scent to find her room again. Salt tinged the air and he was leery as he entered the room. Charlie was laying in the bed, the comforter up to her chin, tear trails prominent on her cheeks.

-0-

"Come with me, please." Mother said once the male pack members left the dining hall. "We have to make you presentable."

I nodded and stood, falling into step next to her when a redhead came with us. "Hi. I'm Charlie."

"Charlotte, no talking." Mother chastised me. She led me back to my room as if I didn't know these halls like the back of my hand, ushering me inside silently. The redhead, Vanessa, pulled a measuring tape from her pocket and went to work. Mother watched Vanessa take my measurements and said, "You will be expected to take up your lessons again. We can't have you be any more of an embarrassment than you already are."

"Being human is nothing to be embarrassed about, Mother." I kept my chin high and tried to make my voice steady. "I already finished school. Top of my class, actually."

"We'll have to rebuild your wardrobe as well. What color does Victor prefer?" She examined swatches of fabric carefully. She held up a black swatch to my face. "Black does bring out the color of eyes and makes your skin seem less sallow."

"I don't like black." I moved my head away from the fabric and pointed to the royal blue color. "That's my favorite."

"Everything will be made to Victor's preference." Mother flinched when her fingers brushed my shoulder.

"Why should my clothes be what he likes?" Vanessa wrote down some numbers and left my room quietly, leaving me alone with my mother. "They're _my _clothes."

"He's your mate."

"He's some guy that I screwed and haven't been able to get rid of." I countered before I could stop myself. I let out a long breath to calm myself. "I don't want a mate."

"Regardless, you have one." Mother snapped. "You asked to come home and now you are able to. Why can't you just accept the expectations your father and I have for you now that you are a pack member?"

"Why can't you just accept me?" My voice broke and she didn't react. "You kicked me out when I was fifteen because I'm _human_! Nothing I did was ever good enough for you; nothing mattered as long as I did it unless I did it people who are supposed to love me unconditionally can't stand the sight of me. What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?"

I had started crying during my tirade, furious tears falling down my cheeks. Mother took a deep breath and took a moment to collect herself before she said, "It is nothing you did, Charlotte. You are simply an abomination. We have a chance to fix you; to make you better than you are. Why fight it?"

Mother left the room and the door closed silently behind her. I lay down on the bed and pulled the blankets around me like I had when I was a child and wept. Victor didn't return until almost midnight and while I'm sure he knew I was crying, he didn't mention it. He just got into bed beside me, rolled over, and went to sleep. I stared at the clock, watching the minutes tick down until midnight came, officially marking the beginning of my twenty fifth birthday. A knock drew my attention away from the chiming clock and I didn't bother to wipe my eyes when I answered the door. A cupcake was sitting on the floor, resting in the middle of a bone white plate and a candle flickering in the dim lighting. About five feet away sat another one and another five feet away sat another. I followed the trail of cupcakes to the ballroom and found Christien waiting for me. "Happy birthday, Lottie."

I didn't reply as I crossed the dance floor and threw myself into his arms, inhaling the scent of trees and his cologne. He squeezed me tightly then let me go. "I am so sorry about everything. Father kicked you out and I couldn't do anything to help you."

"It's okay, Christien." Knowing that my brother still loved me was enough.

"I kept an eye on you, though. Wanted to make sure you stayed out of trouble." Christien shoved me gently. "Clearly I could have done a better job."

"Do you have a mate yet?" I changed the subject as we sat on the floor.

"Not yet. The spark hasn't quite flared for me." He shrugged and picked up one of the cupcakes, peeled back the paper and took a bite. "Yours seems like...something else."

"I didn't pick him." I accepted the cupcake he handed me and licked some of the frosting off. "I don't even know him and Mother expects me to spend the rest of my life with him? Am I living in a bad romantic comedy and nobody told me?"

Christien laughed. "You've been reading too many romance novels."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be loved." I took a bite of my cupcake. "Flowers and midnight slow dances with inside jokes. Or staying up all night just talking."

"About what?"

"Anything." I sighed. "Instead of being told I'm going to be with someone. This isn't the nineteenth century."

"Lottie, if you want to stay then you have to let Victor claim you." Christien said. "Father seems willing to accept you as you are if you do."

"What if I reject him as my mate?" I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"You know as well as I do that is a death sentence for Victor. A feral male without his mate would let the animal take over the shreds of humanity we have left." Christien turned serious and took my hand in his. "I can't lose my baby sister again."

I nodded and he gave my hand a sqeeze before nudging me to get up. "You should get some sleep, Charlotte."

We parted ways at my door and when I walked into my room, I was smiling. Victor was still asleep so I got back in bed and watched him sleep. If I had Christien around, then I could survive being with Victor for the rest of my life. All I needed was one person to love me, even if it wasn't a romantic love, and I could be happy. I couldn't lose my brother again either. With a silent acceptance of my lot in life, I rolled over and went to sleep.

**A/N: Thanks to sliva for the review. It's tricky for me to write Victor because it seems like there's a few facets to his personality. **

**Thanks to everybody who read/followed/favorited this story. Feel free to leave a review on your way out. They're always appreciated and fantastic for the ego. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up before Victor the next morning, which was odd because on the few occasions we had spent the night together he had always risen before me. I examined his resting features, wishing I could see who he really was and maybe it would help ease my fears about being joined to him for the rest of my life. Mating is different than the human tradition of weddings. It's a deeper and more binding commitment. Without a mate, a feral male would lose himself to the animal completely and any miniscule drop of humanity that was left would be gone. Christien was correct the night before, if I rejected Victor it would eventually drive him completely mad. There was the possibility that he would find a new mate but once rejected, the males didn't try for another mate. They did their best to prove that they were the best choice for their female.

There were worse ferals to end up with, I supposed. Victor was handsome and dynamite when it came to sex. Yes, he was bossy and possessive but I didn't have any control over that. He went after me when that psychopath kidnapped me and was ready to kill Christien when he showed up at our motel room. As far as protection went, I didn't doubt there was anyone better qualified. Victor was the key to my family and I had to decide whether I wanted my family or if I wanted to be with someone who I loved. Maybe in time we could love each other...

"You gonna get back in bed?" Victor grumbled, his eyes open and a wicked grin on his face. "Or you gonna make me come get you?"

Normally, I wouldn't tease him but this morning I moved close to him and leaned forward, my lips a breath away from his when I said, "You have to come get me."

The bathroom door was a foot away from the bed but Victor's reflexes were faster than I expected and a second later he has me pinned underneath him. He wasn't one for kissing on the lips but everywhere else was fair game as he demonstrated eagerly. A knock on the door didn't make him pause as he sliced the front of my shirt with his claws. "You invite company?"

"Not that I recall." I whimpered when he bit my neck hard enough to draw blood. "Damn it. Take it easy, champ."

His response was to bite me again when the door opened and Mother came in, unphased by Victor's actions. "Your father wishes to see you when you've finished."

"We'll be there in a minute." I gasped as Victor's claw sliced through my pajama bottoms.

"No, we won't." Victor pulled one of my legs over his hip and ground himself into me. Mother closed the door as she left.

"That was inapprop-" My words were cut off by him digging his claws into my thighs.

"Stop talking."

-0-

"Ah, Victor. Charlotte." My father greeted us when we finally met him in his study. "It's my pleasure to finally have you both here."

"Trust me. The pleasure was all mine." Victor's voice was dripping with the innuendo and I glared at him while he chuckled.

"I have a task for you, Victor. One that requires what seems to be your speciality." Father slid him a file but Victor made no move to pick it up, waiting for Father to tell him what was in it. "A man is enroaching on our territories and using our young for his pleasures and trafficking to humans. We would like you to stop him."

"You have any specific preferences on how you'd like me to do that?" Victor asked, a hopeful bloodlust in his eyes.

"As long as he ends up dead, I ask only that you use your imagination." Father grinned at Victor. "Make him suffer, Mr. Creed. Damian will fill you in on the details when you leave. Be ready to leave in ten minutes."

It was a command and I was surprised when Victor merely nodded and left the room eagerly. I silently stood when Father's voice stopped me. "Charlotte, puis-je avoir un moment?" (Charlotte, may I have a moment?)

"Oui, papa."

He gestured for me to sit back down and I did cautiously. Even before I left, he didn't speak directly to me unless it was to scold me or make me aware that I was a disappointment. Nothing good could come from this. "Votre présence a été manquée." (Your presence has been missed.)

"Excusez-moi, mais je ne comprends pas." (Excuse me, but I don't understand.) I licked my lips nervously. "Vous m'avez demandé de partir." (You asked me to leave.)

"Pour le bien de la meute." (For the good of the pack.) He scanned some papers in front of him then switched to English. "I've collected your public transcripts and it seems you were not completely incompetent in your schooling."

I didn't reply, knowing that anything I could've said would have made him angry. He shuffled the papers then folded his hands on top of them. "There are a few lessons that you need to take to keep up with the other females. If Victor intends to be Alpha when I'm gone you need to be a presentable mate."

"What about Christien? He's the next in line."

"Christien has brought it to my attention that he would prefer to focus on medical sciences and not leadership. Victor is an ideal replacement. Now, you completed the etiquette and defense classes before you left so all that will be required is culinary arts."

"Cooking?" I scoffed. "I burn water. I can't cook."

"Hence, the lessons." Father raised an eyebrow. "Go to the kitchen. Jack will teach you what you need to know."

The kitchen had been updated since I was last here with steel appliances and six large stoves lining one wall. Two big sinks were on the other wall along with a dishwasher. The refrigerator was stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly for garnish for the meat dishes but I snagged some grapes while I waited for Jack. When he finally did arrive, I choked on the fruit in my mouth. Jack was a six foot three Adonis with dark hair and forest green eyes. He looked like someone out of a mythology book. "Miss Dubois?"

Coughing, I nodded and once my throat was clear I said, "Call me Charlie."

"Jack." He introduced himself and pulled on a white chef's coat, handing me one of my own. "Shall we begin?"

As it turns out, Jack was a 'mutt'. He was half feral and half human and honestly, the combination made him more of an outcast than I was.

"Now, dice the potatoes." Jack demonstrated it for me and added his potatoes to the pot of stew on the stove. I followed his instructions and managed to cut my thumb.

"Damn it." I hissed, dropping the knife and going to rinse the blood off in the sink. Jack came to help staunch the blood flow by pressing a paper towel to my thumb.

"Hold your arm above your heart." He lifted my hand over my head with a gentle smile. "It helps stop the bleeding."

"Good tip if I'm going to be in the kitchen a lot." I laughed softly. "I'm really horrible at this stuff."

"Lucky for you, I'm not." Jack replied, making eye contact and holding it. "I've heard a lot about you, Charlie."

"And I've heard nothing about you." I joked.

"Pity. It seems I'll have to fill you in myself." He checked the cut and found it had stopped bleeding, wrapping a band aid around it. Handing me a glove, he said, "Put that on so we don't contaminate the food."

"The pack practically lives in blood and you're worried about a little bit of mine?" I raised an eyebrow at him as we returned to our cutting boards.

"Ferals or not, we must abide by the health code." Jack finished dicing the potatoes and added them to the stew. He poured us both a glass of wine and handed one to me. "I'll make a chef out of you yet."

**A/N: Thanks to OptimusPrimegirl (I love your name, by the way) for the review. :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to all the new alerts and favorites. Leave a review and let me know what you think, pretty please. If any of you noticed, I changed the summary of the story because I had one plot line set up but the characters hijacked it. :) **


	9. Chapter 9

Being home was a mixture of comfort and discomfort. I was happy to be home but the other pack members were less enthusiastic about my return. My father's pack was the largest in the country and while there were smaller packs, they all looked to my father for guidance. Our pack was compiled of feline ferals, like Victor, canine ferals, like my family, and assorted others. Maddie had been part of the pack, her parents were canine ferals, but to their dismay she wasn't a feral. While she was still a mutant, she wasn't a total outcast but when I was dismissed, she left of her own accord. I sent up a silent prayer that she was safe and wished for some contact so I knew she was okay.

My mind was too active to allow me to sleep so I wandered to the kitchen to find a snack. There were fresh strawberries in the refrigerator, thanks to Christien who knew they were my favorite. Rinsing them only took a few minutes and soon enough, I was all set with my snack.

"I thought I heard someone in here." Jack's voice made me jump as he entered the kitchen.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" I swallowed the berry in my mouth and licked my lips free of the juice. "I couldn't sleep."

"So you came to my kitchen?" Jack asked good naturedly as he plucked a strawberry from my bowl.

"Seeing as how I'm your pupil, I thought it'd be all right if I borrowed it for a little while." Jack disappeared inside the pantry for a moment, emerging with a bag of chocolate. About ten minutes later, we had a bowl of melted chocolate to dip our strawberries into. "How'd you end up here?"

"You get right to the point, don't you?" Jack smiled sideways at me as he dipped a piece of fruit then popped it into his mouth. Licking some chocolate off his fingers, he said, "My mate decided she wanted someone better than a mutt so she rejected me."

"I'm sorry." He dipped another berry and chewed it slowly then swallowed.

"It's all right. If she can't accept all of me, then she shouldn't get to have any of me." Jack shrugged.

"How have you not-"

"Gone crazy?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "It's because I'm half human. The man lets me move on and not..."

"That's lucky." I replied, tossing a berry stem into the trash. When I glanced at him, I saw a smile teasing his lips when I caught him staring at me. He extended a hand and I felt his thumb brush against the corner of my mouth, taking a detour to brush my lips with the digit while holding my gaze. My cheeks burned and I pulled away slightly, clearing my throat.

"What about you?"

"There's nothing special about me. Haven't you heard? I'm an abomination." I said evenly.

"You're wrong." Jack said softly. "You shine more brightly than anyone else here, Charlotte. It was the first thing I noticed when I saw you."

Normally, I hated my given name but when he said it, I didn't mind as much. The way he was looking at me made my stomach flip and I changed the subject. "How far do your feral abilities go?"

"I have better eyesight and reflexes." Jack answered. "Strength and I can heal quicker than a full blooded human but slower than a full feral. And my sense of smell is heightened of course."

"That must be nice to have." I said. "I can imagine it'd be helpful to be able to smell an enemy or prey from a distance."

"Normally, yes." Jack admitted. "But at the moment it's a bit torturous."

"Why? What do you smell?" I glanced around, trying to see what could be causing a problem for him.

"Strawberries and chocolate." Jack leaned toward me slightly and sniffed the air around me. "You smell like cinnamon cider."

"Is that bad?" I asked nervously, not having tasted that particular type of cider before.

"It's my favorite." Jack smiled at me. We were closer than we should have been and if Victor hadn't crossed my mind at that moment, I would have let him kiss me. As it happened, I remembered how Victor reacted when someone hurt me and I didn't want to imagine what would happen if Jack kissed me.

"I can't." I whispered, his lips a few mere centimeters away. Instead of giving him a reason, I exited the kitchen quickly and escaped to my room. I made a straight shot for the shower and turned on the water, stepping in with my clothes on. If anybody caught Jack's scent on me in the morning, it'd ask questions I didn't want to answer. Especially since I knew that our scents were mixed with my attraction to him and I didn't want to risk it.

-0-

Every year my father hosted a ball and banquet for the other packs in the country. It was a gesture of solidarity and showed that even though we were more powerful and wealthier than the other packs. The party would be catered with the best food and the best music. As a child, I hadn't been allowed to attend but as Victor's mate it would be expected. Christien arrived early in the day with a royal blue gown that I suspected that he had talked Mother into letting me have something other than black in my wardrobe. Part of the etiquette training that had been taught in my earlier education was ballroom dancing which left me fully prepared for this event. Mother hoped that Victor would return in time for the party, having left the pack almost a week ago, and that the other Alphas would meet the next in line for our pack. In his absence, I would have to do.

The gown had a squared neckline and long sleeves, the deep blue bringing out the color of my eyes. The skirt made a rustling noise as I walked, flowing from my hips. I left my hair down around my neck, knowing that if I left my neck bared it would be construed as a sign of weakness. Mother had dropped off a necklace that had belonged to my grandmother. It was a choker made of black lace with a large sapphire dangling from it. The necklace would symbolize a leash of sorts, a demonstration that I was mated and 'under control' while the large gem would acknowledge the fact that I came from a wealthy pack. The high heeled shoes that I would wear had four inch heels, giving me a taller height than the females, but also remaining shorter than the males. Every aspect of my appearance was carefully orchestrated to reveal no weakness.

My place was at the head table with my parents and brother. I kept my shaking hands hidden under the table and Christien took my right hand in his, squeezing it encouragingly. Father stood to make a toast. "Dearest brothers and sisters, it is my great pleasure to welcome you into my home. Take advantage of our hospitality and eat and drink your fill. Indulge in the pleasures you wish but keep a low profile to the public please. We do not need the media alerted to our vast influence."

There was scattered laughter and he smiled before continuing. "I'd like to present my daughter, Charlotte who combined with her mate, Victor Creed, will be the next leaders of our pack. Get to know her and let her learn from you. For now, however, we must first enjoy our meal."

I spied Jack several tables over, returning the smile he threw my way. He picked up his mug in a small toast and I picked up my own, sipping the liquid inside. It tasted very strongly of cinnamon and it pulled another smile from my lips. I ate nervously and was actually relieved when the dancing started. In a mansion full of tempermental males, only the unclaimed or unmated danced with the opposite sex. As part of my duties, however, I was expected to dance with all who wantedto be my partner. I suffered through several disgusting males and their dancing abilities before Jack asked for a dance.

"You looked like you needed rescuing." He chuckled as he lead me around the dance floor in time with the waltz that was playing.

"I did. I've never been to one of these things before." I replied quickly. "These men are animals."

Jack threw his head back and laughed loudly, drawing the stares of several of our guests. "It's a good thing you have your wits about you tonight, Charlotte."

"I'm surprised you were invited tonight." I told him, ignoring the way he was smiling at me.

"It's a symbol of unity." Jack said. "Your father had no choice."

I caught a female staring at Jack as we passed and brought it to his attention.

"I'm not interested." He said without looking at her.

"You should be. She's beautiful." I said. "And a member of the southern territories. She could give you quite the social standing."

"I appreciate your concern for my social standing, but I'm afraid there's already a woman who's captured my interest."

The dance ended, saving me from having to reply, when he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "If she shares my affections, have her meet me on the grounds once the guests have gone."

He pulled away and bowed politely, leaving me with his invitation. I reclaimed my seat and pondered the request. Going to him would be a surefire way of ruining both of our lives. Victor would kill him and if he didn't kill me, I would be cast out again. I had read stories of true love and I believed that when you found it, your heart always knew before your head did. I felt nothing except lust for Victor but Jack could give me love. It was expected to become the next Alpha female of this pack. Meeting him would ruin that as well. I took another sip of my drink and firmly made my decision. I wasn't going to meet him. Was I?

**A/N: Thanks to those of you who have added this story to the alerts and favorites list. A big thank you to my reviewers, OptimusPrimegirl and SleepiPanda. You guys rock and this chapter is dedicated to you. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and leave a review on your way out. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Victor was pleased with his success on the mission that Frankie assigned him. The asshole that had been selling the pack's young was now scattered across the forest and he was on his way up the long driveway that led to the mansion. It looked like there was a damn party in full swing but that'd be all right. Parties meant booze. He put the truck in park and climbed out, habitually scenting the air to make sure there were no surprises. A breeze rustled through the trees and he thought he caught a hint of whiskey on the air. When the scent filled his nose again, he went to investigate, knowing that smell belonged to Charlie. The metallic sting of blood was the next smell that hit his senses, causing a growl to slip past his lips before he could be bothered to stop it. Following the smell to the gardens, he saw a dark haired man sprawled on the ground with his throat torn open and his intestines scattered across the cobbled pathway. Victor couldn't care less about him when his gaze fell on Charlie's unconcious form, shivering violently. He picked her up and found that the front of her dress was drenched in blood.

Carrying her bridal style into the mansion, Victor almost bumped into Christien. "What the hell happened to her?"

"I don't know." Victor grunted. "I found her like this. I think somebody attacked her because there's another body out there."

Christien paled. "Get her to her room. I'll be up to check her out in a minute."

Victor didn't appreciate being told what to do but took her upstairs and placed her in the bed. He didn't like the way the blood mingled with her smell and used his claws to tear through the delicate fabric of her dress. Tossing the gown to the ground, Victor checked for any wounds but found none. The blood on her hands was still wet and he retrieved a damp cloth and wiped it away. He heard footsteps coming their way and covered her almost naked form so no one else would see his mate.

"What happened?" Adelaide rushed into the room and to her daughter's side, careful not to touch her. Christien started searching the room for something while Francois closed the door softly.

"I found it." Christien held up a small pink, plastic case and then opened it, examining the contents.

"How many doses has she missed?" Francois asked as Christien counted the empty spaces.

"Almost a month." Christien replied with a sigh. "It's a wonder this hasn't happened sooner."

"How the hell has she missed a month's worth of doses?" Victor snapped. "You said she'd know better than that."

"Could be the fact that she was moving around so much in the last month." Francois countered, giving Victor a meaningful glare.

"Don't try to blame this on me." Victor snarled. "This wasn't my fucking idea in the first place."

"How long until she wakes up?" Adelaide asked her son.

"I don't know, Mother. We need to get her sedated until I can get the proper dosage back in her system." Christien said.

"Why not just let her out to play?" Victor didn't like all the fussing over her.

"You know why, Victor." Adelaide said. "She's too dangerous."

Francois and Adelaide left to handle Jack's body, leaving Christien and Victor with Charlie.

"No one would blame you if you wanted out, Victor." Christien told him. "This is a lot to handle for anyone."

Victor was leaning against one of the bed posts with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not going anywhere. She's my mate. I gotta protect her."

"Even from herself?" Christien asked.

"Especially from herself."

-0-

Victor woke up the next morning to find Charlie's side of the bed empty and screaming coming from down the hall. Jumping out of the bed, he yanked the door open and bolted toward the screams. He found Charlie in the ballroom, her brother pinned beneath the claws now extending from her fingernails. Christien was making a valiant effort to keep his sister from decapitating him but Victor didn't want to take the chance on her success. Launching himself at his mate, Victor shouted, "Get a sedative. Now!"

Christien kept a hand clamped on his throat as he stumbled to his feet and headed for the infirmary as quickly as he could. Victor was thrown across the ballroom as Charlie got to her feet with a snarl. "Control yourself, woman."

Charlie ran toward him and Victor met her halfway, their bodies colliding with a loud thump. She slashed at his face, making Victor counter her attack. He brought his arm up and slashed defensively, stopping when she dropped to the ground with her hands pressed to her face. His protective instincts kicked in when she howled in pain and he knelt next to her. Christien arrived with the sedative and injected it into her arm. A moment later, she relaxed and her screams silenced themselves as her hands fell away from her face. There were four large gashes covering her face, one narrowly missing her eye and two of them cutting through her lips.

"What happened?" Christien asked as Victor picked her up.

"She attacked me and couldn't control herself." The walk to the infirmary was silent and tense. Christien stitched up the gashes and added an extra sedative to Charlie's system. "Now what?"

"Now we wait."

-0-

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that my face ached. Throbbed, actually. I reached up to try to feel the source of the pain when a strong hand grabbed my wrist. "Don't. You'll make it worse."

"What happened?" I croaked. My mouth felt like it was full of sand. Victor came into view and handed me a cup with water. I gulped it down as quickly as the pain in my lips would allow.

"You should wait for your brother." Victor replied stiffly. "He'll be back in a minute."

We sat in silence for a few minutes until Christien arrived with my parents. "Good. She's awake."

"What's going on?" I asked, looking from Christien to Victor. "He won't tell me anything."

"How much do you remember?" Father asked me.

"Not much. I went out to the gardens to-" I stopped myself from putting Jack in a compromising condition. "Get some air then I woke up here."

My parents exchanged a look then my mother spoke up. "Charlotte, this may be difficult to hear but there was a reason that we sent you away."

"Yeah, because I'm human."

Mother cleared her throat. "Not exactly. Sweetheart, you were born a feral."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "How's that possible? I don't have the healing factor or the claws or anything."

"Well, you were born a feral but due to extreme circumstances, we had to make a decision." Father interrupted. "After you mauled your grandfather, we decided that you were too dangerous to be part of the pack. There are young ones here. Christien developed a formula that repressed your mutant gene. It has to be taken daily and it seems you haven't taken it in a while so your feral managed to escape. Lynx is very dangerous."

"Why don't I remember any of this?" I asked with a wavering voice.

"Because we wiped your memory." Christien answered. Ashamedly, he corrected, "I wiped your memory."

"Leave." Victor told my family, noticing the tear rolling down my cheek. "She needs some time to process this."

When we were alone, I asked Victor, "Did you know about this?"

"Yeah. I've known for a while." Victor picked up a glass bottle and examined the contents before setting it back down.

"How long is a while?"

He shrugged. "A hundred years or so."

"A hundred years?" I echoed.

"Give or take." Victor said.

"How old am I?"

"I'm not sure of exact numbers but I figure you're around 110 or 120." Victor stopped wandering around the infirmary and finally settled his gaze on me. "This doesn't happen often but it does every once in a while."

My mind was racing while I tried to process this new information. "Are you telling me that you stick around every time this happens?"

Victor nodded somberly. When I asked him why, he simply said, "I'm your mate."

-0-

The gashes on my face would scar but not heal fully, thanks to my healing factor being repressed for the last ten years. Christien assured me that in a few weeks, my body would adjust to the accelerated healing and I wouldn't scar anymore. He also gave me the choice to continue to repress my feral half, who he called Lynx, by handing me a pack of birth control pills.

"Why do you have my birth control?" I asked, accepting the pack from him.

"We used it to administer the formula. Since it needs to be taken daily, Father decided that it would be beneficial to use this to do so."

"How did you manage to make sure I got the formula in my pill?"

"We have contacts all over the country." Christien replied. "It was easier than you think. Speaking of which, you should really make sure you take it every day. If not for the formula then do it for the contraceptive."

"I really don't need the safe sex talk from you, but thanks." I tried to smile but it tugged at the cuts on my lips. I gave him a hug instead. "By the way, have you seen Jack around? He was supposed to have a cooking lesson."

Christien hesitated. "Nobody told you?"

"No. What's wrong?" I felt a lump rise in my throat.

"He's dead, Lottie. Lynx took control and-"

I hadn't known Jack for a very long time but knew him long enough to develop a crush. Knowing that I had killed him—or Lynx had killed him with my hands—made me start crying again. If they had just told me sooner, I could have learned to control my feral. They had lied to me and made me feel like a horrible mistake because I wasn't a feral. Now, another person was dead. I lost myself in the grief that I had killed someone.

I became aware of a strong pair of arms holding me and Victor's scent made something in me snap. I yanked myself out of his grip. My mate should have told me what I was and what I was capable of. "I hate you, Victor Creed."

"Christien, get a sedative." Victor kept his eyes on me.

"Don't you dare, Christien." I growled at my brother. To Victor I steadied my voice and looked him in the eyes. "I reject you as my mate."

"Charlotte, think about what you're doing." Christien warned.

Victor stiffened and clenched his fists tightly. His claws were digging into his palms and blood was dripping on the floor. "Knock it off, Charlie. We don't have time for this."

"I. Reject. You." I enuncated carefully, making sure he would understand it. "Stay away from me."

I stormed out of the infirmary and back to my room, shoving some clothes into a bag. Victor's keys were on the sidetable and I took those as well. He owed me that much.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to all who added this story to their alerts and favorites. Leave a review and let me know what you think. All feedback is used to make my writing better and to feed my muse. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_London, 1888_

"_Oh, Victor." Lynx called in a sing song tone as she wandered down the street. It was dark and women were advised to stay off the street unescorted until the killer known as 'Jack the Ripper' was off the streets. She wasn't worried about that. He might even provide a decent chase for her at this point. In the meantime, she was looking for her mate. "Where are you?" _

_Strong arms grabbed her waist from behind and purred, "I found you, kitten." _

_Giggling, she turned in his arms and kissed him long and slow. "Where have you been?" _

"_I've got a present for you." Victor smiled, his fangs in full view. "Come on." _

_He took her hand and they half walked, half groped each other on the way to their flat. Victor rumbled deep in his chest when Lynx purred in his ear as he picked her up and shoved her against the wall. "Damn it, woman. You want your gift or not?"_

"_I want my mate." Lynx nipped at his neck hard enough to draw blood then licked it away. Victor wasn't one to deny her anything, much less himself but he had something she'd love. _

"_Present first." Victor insisted, taking breaths to steady himself. He pushed open the door to their flat then escorted her to the bedroom where a young girl was tied to the bed. Her fear was palpable and Lynx grinned a toothy grin as she scented the air. Victor could smell her arousal and glee as she turned to face him again. _

"_For me?" She squealed and Victor nodded. "You shouldn't have." _

"_It is your birthday." Victor nudged her toward the bed. "Go ahead, kitten." _

_Lynx smelled salt as the girl started to cry and removed the gag from her mouth. "What's your name, love?"_

"_A-Amelia." She stammered, her voice thick with tears. "Pl—please don't kill me." _

"_Oh," Lynx cooed, placing a finger against her lips and then trailing it down between her full breasts, claw extending and teasing the fabric. Victor growled his approval as her claw sliced the front of her dress. "I won't. It's not me you have to worry about. See him?"_

_Amelia glanced at Victor, who shot her a evil grin. Lynx continued, "He's the one you have to worry about. He's got such a temper." _

_Lynx pressed her lips against Amelia's throat, fangs dragging against the skin there. Amelia started to cry again when she felt teeth break the skin and blood started to trickle down her neck. Victor groaned as Lynx's hand groped Amelia's breast, her claws piercing the skin there and little ruby dots stained the front of her dress. "Damn it, woman. You're killing me."_

"_Come here, love." Lynx extended a hand to Victor, who came to the bed, kneeling on the mattress next to Amelia. "Now, sweets, if you are very nice to us, we'll let you go. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you." _

"_Y-you said you wouldn't." Amelia sobbed. _

"_I lied." Using her claws, Lynx cut through the rope holding Amelia to the bed. She stroked Amelia's cheek tenderly then claimed her lips in a vicious kiss as she straddled the captive's lap. Victor moved behind Lynx and kissed her neck, his hands moving over the familiar terrain of her body and teasing her. Amelia, thinking that satisfying her captors would allow her to live, allowed Lynx to bite and claw at her skin until the trio were painted with her blood. It wasn't until after the two ferals had reached satisfaction that they realized poor Amelia was dead. _

_Tangled in bloody sheets with her head against Victor's chest, Lynx said, "It's a pity about her. She was rather pretty when she cried." _

"_You always say that." Victor kissed her again. "We have a job to finish." _

_Lynx pouted and chewed her lower lip with feigned innocence. "It's my birthday." _

"_Finish the job and we can party again." Victor squeezed her hips as she nuzzled his neck. _

"_Fine." She grumbled, crawling over Amelia to pull her dress on. "Let's go find this Ripper fellow." _

_They found him in an alley, hunched over a still female form. He turned when he heard them approach. Lynx skipped forward and examined his work. "It's really very impressive."_

_The Ripper held his knife out in front of him and eyed the brunette with fangs and her companion carefully. "Who are you?" _

"_Lynx. I'm really a fan of your work." She examined him, trying to discern his mutation. "So, what do you do? Are you just a scalpel jockey or can you do something impressive?"_

_Victor kept a close eye on The Ripper's knife, ready to strike if he tried to attack his mate. Lynx tried to sweeten the deal. "Show me yours and I'll show you mine."_

_The Ripper pondered the proposition then he turned to the dead woman on the ground. He gestured toward her and a moment later, red liquid was making curling designs in the air. Lynx giggled gleefully. "Victor, I like this one." _

"_How would you like to put your talents to better use?" Victor asked The Ripper. "Better pay, better hours, better victims."_

_The serial killer looked from Lynx to Victor before nodding. "Let me finish my work." _

"_Of course." Victor gestured to the body. "Big fan, by the way."_

"_Charlotte!" A masculine voice with a French accent startled Lynx and Victor stepped in front of her. Pierre Dubois glared at Victor. "You are supposed to keep her safe, not have her parade the streets with a psychopathic murderer!"_

"_Does she look like she's in danger?" Victor snarled at her grandfather. _

"_I do not understand why her father allowed you to mate to her." Pierre growled back. Pushing Victor out of the way, he grabbed Lynx's arm roughly and tried to drag her away from the bloody scene. "I will not let you corrupt her." _

"_Let me go!" Lynx clawed at Pierre's hand, drawing blood but his healing factor had the skin knit back together a moment later. "Victor!"_

_Two pack members appeared at the end of the alley, leaving Victor outnumbered. He'd be damned if he let them take his kitten though and he attacked. Lynx saw him get tackled and one of the pack mates raised an arm to deliver the killing blow. She howled and lashed out at her grandfather, shredding his face faster than he could heal himself. Pierre fell against the alley wall weakly as Lynx moved to protect her mate. The Ripper made himself useful and manipulated the blood in one of the packmates, draining the red fluid into his lungs and grinning as the feral drowned in his own blood. Victor finished off the last pack mate then was at Lynx's side, checking her for wounds. When he was satisfied with her well being, he nuzzled her neck lovingly, covering her with his scent. He heard a whoosh then a prick in his neck. He pulled a dart out of the skin and his eyes fluttered closed. Lynx collapsed in his arms as a sedative was injected into her system. When he fell, Victor made sure that she fell on top of him and not on the cobbled street. He didn't want her hurt. _

The memory, along with many others, were starting to surface, filling me in on what I'd forgotten. It had been easy to find a house and furnishing it was easier. Lynx had stored decades of information, quietly waiting until the funds and allies would be of use. I had amassed a fortune, scattered around the country in several banks. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes fixed on the four scars covering my face. I licked my lips, tasting the scars that decorated them before my gaze fell on the pregnancy test on the sink. The pink plus sign made me snarl and claws extended from my fingernails. I took several deep breaths to calm myself. The child I was carrying would be a feral and I would have to teach her to control her instincts. How could I teach her if I couldn't control myself?

I kept my pregnancy secret from everyone, covering my tracks carefully. Using a fake name at the doctor's office and paying in cash so I wouldn't leave a paper trail. I would not allow Victor to find me and I wasn't ready to face my family that had lied to me for so long. The betrayal made Lynx growl and I clutched the sink so hard that the porcelain cracked, coming apart in my hands.

"Fantastic." I muttered, leaving the bathroom to call a plumber.

**A/N: There you have some of Lynx's history. I may add more if you guys like it but I think this gives you an idea of how she and Charlie are different. The next chapter will be a time jump of about four years and we will introduce the X-Men soon. Thanks to those of you who have added this story to your alerts/favorites and a giant thanks to my reviewers: OptimusPrimegirl and brigid. You guys rock. :) **

**While alerts and favorites are absolutely fantastic, reviews are the only way to let me know what you think. All are used to make my writing better. I don't bruise easily. Plus they're fantastic motivation. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

_Chicago, 1920_

"_Kitten, come on." Victor sighed as he fumbled with his tie. Damn stupid clothes. He felt like he was choking. _

"_You've tied it all wrong," Charlie smiled up at him as she approached then tied his tie. Once she was pleased with his appearance, she said, "There, my love. You look positively dangerous." _

"_Good. Let's go." Victor put an arm around her waist and led her out to the car. He glared dangerously at any man who dared to look at his mate while simultaneously swelling with pride at how she looked. His mate could give any man a run for his money and no woman held an ounce of the attraction for him. She had helped get their club up and running and she was part of the reason as to why it was such a money maker. _

_When they arrived at their club, Victor gave his kitten a slow and tempting kiss, his tongue making a lazy sashay around her mouth. He wasn't one for such overt public displays of affection but every night he made it a point to show who she belonged to. _

"_Careful, Mr. Creed." He rumbled deep in his chest when she said his name. "If you continue to tease me, I'm afraid you won't get any work done tonight." _

"_It'd be damn worth it." Victor squeezed her backside before releasing her to deal with the gentlemen waiting for their liquor. The probition of alcoholic beverages had a successful reaction for their club. Charlie, with the seductive predatory attributes of Lynx, was a fantastic hostess. No man could resist her. _

Memories flooded my mind at every moment of the day, leaving me with a distinct ache in my chest. Victor may have been rough, crude, bossy, and a liar but I had no doubt that he cared for me. And I was starting to realize that, in the past at least, I did love him. Deeply. Lynx was missing him as well, howling internally for him. It was too late now. Rejection couldn't be reversed.

I watched my daughter as she poured imaginary tea for her stuffed animals and imaginary friend that were gathered around the picnic table outside. There was snow on the ground but she didn't seem to notice or care. Her blue peacoat and scarf were wrapped tightly around her, with earmuffs and a hat to help secure body heat. Bright green gloves covered her hands. Dark curls were held away from her face with a red ribbon and she glanced at me with blue grey eyes. Her skin looked like porcelain and from a distance, she did look like a perfect doll. There was so much of Victor in her features, from the way she smiled widely to the thick lashes that framed her eyes. The tips of her ears were slightly pointed, much like a cat's and she had claws that barely passed her fingertips.

"No, Nixie. You have to wait your turn." Roxanne chastised her imaginary friend. She was lonely and it was obvious. The other children on our street had always been open to her mutation and to being friends but their parents poisoned their minds. Now they ran from her and called her names. Nixie arrived shortly after her third birthday. Today, her fourth birthday, would be celebrated by ourselves.

"Roxanne, it's time to come in." I called to her. She collected a beige puppy, one that had the obvious look of being loved, and ran toward me. "We've got to go to your doctor and then we will open your presents."

"Can Nixie come with us?" Roxanne asked me. "She likes to ride in the car."

"Of course," I took her hand and led her to the car, buckling her into her seat. Today she would receive several shots but as I promised we would come home and celebrate.

Dr. Patterson was one of the few pediatricians in town that had no prejudice against mutants and Roxanne adored him. She was healthy and growing like a weed and we waited for Dr. Patterson to join us in the examination room.

"How are you doing today, Charlotte?" He asked, checking Roxanne's breathing with his stethoscope.

"Very well, thank you." I smiled at him. "How is your wife?"

"She's doing wonderfully. The baby's kicking her almost all day long." Dr. Patterson smiled back. "Roxanne is growing at the rate we'd expect for a mutant of her age. We have three immunizations to give her today. As usual, a slight fever and some irritablity is normal but if she gets too sick, please bring her in."

"Of course."

She didn't cry when the shots were administered, merely clutched her puppy closer to her chest and squeezed my hand. Roxanne was strong, like her father. When we got home, she went to play in her room with Nixie while I got her lunch ready.

"Roxie, come eat!" I called up to her room. Normally, when she knew her food was ready she ran downstairs without hesitation. I didn't hear any movement upstairs so I went to check on her, finding her sleeping on her bed. Smiling to myself, I pulled off her shoes and tugged her blanket up over her then brushed a stray curl off her forehead. She felt warm and the smile disappeared from my face as I found the thermometer to take her temperature. One minute later, the readout said that her temperature was over 103 degrees. Even when she reacted to the shots, it was never this extreme. Dr. Patterson told me not to worry and that it was part of her healing factor working against her immunizations then hung up on me.

I sat in the rocking chair in her room so I could keep an eye on her. I always did this when she was sick. It would be a huge relief when her healing factor started to work for her rather than against her. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up when Roxanne crawled into my lap, resting her head on my chest and whimpering. I sang softly to her in French while rocking her gently.

-0-

She hadn't improved the next morning and I tried to get her to eat something but she couldn't keep anything down. After another frantic call to Patterson, I tossed some sheets into the laundry. Roxanne had vomited on most of the bed clothes and was tucked in my bed right now. At least I thought she was but when I went up to check on her, she was gone. Thanks to Lynx, I was able to find her sunshine scent in the air, following it outside. I was halfway to the park before I found her chasing several children down the street. The fever must have made her delirious and she managed to scratch a little girl before I caught her.

"Can't you control that...thing?" Her mother snapped at me as I cradled Roxie in my arms.

"My daughter is ill, Ellen." I snapped back. "And if you care to remember, she is not a thing. She's my daughter."

"I hope she has her rabies shot." Ellen muttered under her breath and I snarled at her. She ran away and I carried Roxie home, tucking her into bed again. She whimpered and reached for me so I lay down next to her, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"You'll be all right, sweetheart." I whispered, rubbing her back. "You'll be all right."

-0-

Roxie needed a bath, having sweat through her pajamas during the night. When she was clean and in fresh clothes, I took a much needed shower. Her fever had gotten worse but her doctor refused to do anything. A quick call to the emergency room told me that no one there would do anything for a mutant child. My pack was no option because once I rejected Victor, I rejected them.

Knowing it was futile, I dressed Roxie as lightly as the weather allowed and got her in the car. The staff at the emergency room either glared at my scars or ignored the feverish child in my arms. "You're going to let my daughter die because of your stupid prejudice?"

"The less mutants, the better." A nurse sneered and it took all my restraint to not snap her neck.

A doctor watched as I turned to leave, then followed me to the parking garage. "There's a place you can go that is a safe place for mutants. I think they have the means to help your daughter."

"Thank you." I hugged her tightly. "Where is this place?"

"New York." She said, handing me a pamphlet.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters?" I read. "How can a school help?"

"Just go. He can help you."

-0-

The trip took almost twelve hours and Roxie was having a rough go of it. I stopped as frequently as I was able but the snow across the states made it difficult. When we finally were within a mile or two of the school, my car sputtered. "No. Don't do this."

It stopped next to a snowdrift and I smacked the steering wheel angrily. "You are so going to the junkheap in the sky."

Roxie clutched her puppy closer to her and cried. I looked back at her in time to see her hand shift into what looked like a blade made of her flesh then morph back to her hand. "It hurts."

I got out of the car and pulled my coat off then gathered Roxie into my arms, draping the coat around her. She must have been in more pain than she was saying because her claws dug into my skin each time we moved. She went limp in my arms when I reached the end of the driveway for the school and I started running. There was a gate and I held her close while trying to find some way to open it. There was an intercom and I pushed the button frantically. It was two in the morning but I'd wake up whoever I needed to.

"Who the hell is this?" A gruff voice mumbled.

"My daughter is very sick. She needs your help." I begged. I had almost given up hope when the gate swung open and I bolted up the rest of the driveway. The front door was open and a man in a wheelchair was waiting for me. A second man, who was a feral by the smell of him, came down the stairs as he pulled on a flannel over shirt. "Please...her mutation...my daughter is sick."

"Come inside out of the snow." The man in the wheelchair said, closing the door behind me.

"Listen lady, a mutation ain't an illness." Flannel man said as though he was used to mutants being told they were sick. "If she's a mutant, there's nothing anybody can do-"

"I am not talking about her being a mutant." I interrupted him. "My daughter is physically ill and it's affecting her mutation."

As if to prove my point, her arm morphed again and the fleshy blade went through my shoulder. I bit my lip to keep from crying out and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down so she could morph back. "Logan, take her so we can examine her."

"No. I'll take her where you need to put her." I pulled her away from the Flannel Man who was apparently named Logan. "I don't want her to hurt you.

Logan snorted. "Whatever, lady."

The school had a lower level where there was an infirmary to deal with situations like this, I guess. Roxie had her eyes closed but was asking for Nixie.

"Who's Nixie?" Logan asked as a blue furry man, who I recognized as Henry McCoy from the news, moved to examine her.

"Her imaginary friend." I answered, checking my shoulder. There was still a hole where Roxie had gotten me, which was weird. Normally my healing factor took care of this. I'd deal with it later. Right now, I wanted to know what was wrong with her. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I need to get some blood." Dr. McCoy said. "Does she have any allergies that we need to be aware of?"

"Nope. No allergies."

"What's her name?" He asked.

"Roxanne. I call her Roxie." I smoothed her sweaty hair away from her face. "We went to her doctor yesterday and she got some shots but she's never had this reaction. Not this bad."

"Well, I'll run some tests and we'll get her fever down." Dr. McCoy promised then pointed to my shoulder. "But you need to get that looked at and when was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I got a few hours the night before last."

"You're no good to her exhausted." He said gently. "We'll take care of that shoulder then you need to get some rest. Professor Xavier can give you a hand."

"Of course." The man in the wheelchair rolled forward with a kind smile on his face. I sat in a chair next to him while he cleaned my shoulder. "Dr. McCoy is right, of course. You need to rest."

"Do you have any children, Professor?" I asked as he bandaged my shoulder.

"I have many children in my care." He smiled again.

"Then you know how it is when they're hurt or sick. It's hard to relax." My shirt had blood on it but, if we're being completely honest here (and I think we can be), it wasn't even the worst thing my clothes have been covered in.

"Why not go change into some clean clothes?" Xavier suggested. "I believe Storm may have something to fit you."

"I'd really rather stay with Roxie, if that's okay."

"Of course."

We went back to Dr. McCoy and I sat next to Roxie, who was connected to several monitors and finally seemed to be sleeping well. "We'll find out what's wrong. I promise."

"Thank you." I sat next to her and held her little hand.

**A/N: If you guys have any points in time that you'd like to see a little Victor/Charlie time, then let me know. Thanks to the new alerts/favorites and to my reviewers brigid, OptimusPrimegirl, and Dragoness. You guys rock and I love all of you. **

**Leave a review and let me know what you think. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Logan and Professor Xavier checked on Henry's progress in the lab as he analyzed Roxanne's blood. Charlie had fallen asleep in the chair next to her daughter's bed, holding the small hand in her own. Every now and again her thumb would stroke the back of Roxanne's hand. Something about her was familiar to Logan but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"How's it going, Hank?" Professor Xavier asked the blue man. "Any progress?"

"I think so. Her cells are quite extraordinary." Hank moved so Charles could look at the microscope. "A virus has been introduced into her system and like her mother said, it's changing her mutation."

"Changing it how?" Logan asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's bonded to the mutation gene and making it unstable, hence the morphing of her hands. Since Roxanne's healing factor hasn't fully kicked in yet, the virus is attacking her body more extremely than it would were her factor working properly. That's not the interesting part, though."

"There's more?" Logan quirked an eyebrow.

"She didn't catch this virus naturally. It was introduced to her system from a third party."

"Is there anyway to lower her fever and alleviate her pain?" Charles asked.

"I'll keep trying but so far nothing has worked. We may just have to let the virus run it's course." Hank said regretfully. "I may be able to synthesize a regulator if I can get some of her father's blood. His X gene may help stablize her."

"Do we know who her father is?" Logan glanced at the sleeping pair.

"We'll have to ask Ms. Dubois when she wakes up."

"Let's ask her now." Logan moved to do so when Charles stopped him.

"Logan, she's hardly slept and she needs her rest to take care of her daughter. It's stressful and exhausting to take care of a sick child, let alone one that may require special treatment. I don't envy her situation." Charles watched Charlie for a moment then spoke again. "Logan, would you take her upstairs so she can sleep more comfortably? When she wakes up she can come down again."

Roxanne immediately whimpered at the feeling of her mother's hand leaving hers but quieted again a moment later. Hank promised to stay with her until Charlie returned.

-0-

A school bell ringing woke me up and when I sat up, my shoulder throbbed, bringing last night back to the front of my memory. Stumbling out of the bed I hadn't fallen asleep in, I finger brushed my hair when someone knocked on the door. "Come in?"

Logan pushed the door open and tossed me a grey hooded jacket. "Professor needs to talk to you."

"Do I know you?" I asked. His scent itched at the back of my brain but I couldn't place him. I pulled on the jacket and zipped it up. "You seem familiar..."

"Sorry, lady. I don't know you." Logan shrugged. "Professor's waiting."

I followed him to an elevator that took us to the lower level infirmary and found Dr. McCoy sitting next to Roxie, reading to her. He noticed us as we walked in and closed the book. "Good morning, Ms. Dubois."

"Please, call me Charlie." I shook his hand. "How's she doing?"

Dr. McCoy filled me in on what he found out and I'll admit that I started to panic a little. He offered the chair besides Roxie's bed to me and I sat down. "Do you know how the virus could have been introduced to her system?"

"She just got several shots a couple days ago but we've been going to Dr. Patterson for years." I ran a hand through my hair. "He's the only pediatrician that would see her."

"What about her father?" Dr. McCoy asked. "Is he alive or in the picture?"

"I haven't seen him in four years." I answered simply. "Is it really necessary that he be here?"

"It might stabilize her enough for her body to fight this off." McCoy answered.

"I have no idea where he is." I sighed.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Professor Xavier appeared in the door. "Is he a mutant?"

"Yeah. He's a feral."

"What's his name?"

"Victor Creed."

Everyone in the room shared a look and Logan growled. "He ain't comin' here."

"You know him?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah. He helped Magneto take Rogue." Logan snapped.

"Calm down, Logan." Professor Xavier said. "We will do our best to help Roxanne but Sabretooth will put our students in some discomfort."

"I can help keep him in line. He'll listen to me."

"How are you so sure?" McCoy asked.

"He's my mate. It's a long story but he'll listen."

The professor examined me for a long moment but then conceded. "I'll find him and send Storm and Logan to retrieve him."

"I should go with them. You may need me to help keep him calm." I said reluctantly. I didn't want to leave Roxie but Victor wouldn't hurt me. I hoped.

_1965_

"_Victor, please don't go." I begged him for the hundredth time as he put some clothes in a rucksack. "What if you don't come back?"_

"_You don't have to worry about that," Victor collected me in his arms and tried to kiss me but I turned my head. He decided to nuzzle my neck. "I can't die, sweets." _

"_Just because you haven't died yet doesn't mean you can't." I countered, refusing to let him seduce me until I was done talking to him. His hand slid up my thigh and met the hem of the dress I was wearing, then slipped under it. _

"_Look at me." Victor commanded in a soft tone. He could hardly be described as a hopeless romantic but every now and again he would be sweet and honest. I looked at him and he was serious when he said, "I always come back." _

"_Can't you wait a little longer?" I asked, trying to sweeten the deal with a kiss. "Jimmy won't mind." _

"_Kitten, I'm leaving and that's the end of it." Victor released me and turned back to his packing. "How long can it possibly last?" _

_I knew he was itching to kill someone again but when we moved to the commune, we promised that we wouldn't hurt anyone here. I was the one who wanted to move here, just for a sense of normalcy until I got bored or found something better, but he hated it. The war in Vietnam had been going on for a while now and I was surprised he didn't enlist sooner. Victor and his brother had been in pretty much every war since they started but I was always a nervous wreck when he left. I wanted to join up as a nurse or something but he was against it from the start. He wouldn't put me in harm's way, especially where he couldn't protect me (even though I told him over and over that I could take care of myself)._

"_You ready, Vic?" Jimmy surprised me when he appeared, his own rucksack over his shoulder. He was less than pleased to be going to another war but he followed his brother and figured he may as well do some good since he couldn't really get hurt. _

"_Take care of him, Jimmy." I hugged the younger half brother of my mate. "Take care of yourself." _

_He grunted in lieu of an answer and squeezed me with a hug. Victor stiffened when he came into the front room and saw me in Jimmy's arms and there was a good reason for that. I had been with Jimmy until I spent more time with Victor, realizing the elder brother was my mate. Even though I remained loyal to Victor, he was always uneasy when I was alone with Jimmy. "Hands off my girl, Jimmy boy." _

_I moved out of his arms and Victor grabbed me, kissing me like it would be the last time. I heard Jimmy clear his throat and I was released, watching my boys leave. _

_It was maybe six months later when Emily, a mutant that lived here on the commune, came running up to me, a letter in her hand. Victor rarely sent me letters, the rare exception being a silver locket on my birthday. It felt heavier than a letter should so I assumed that Victor sent another gift. "Is it from him?"_

_Emily saw Victor and I as star crossed lovers and assumed our romance would end tragically, but she was still over invested in our lives. I smiled as I opened the envelope and pulled the letter out, my eyes falling on what was providing the extra weight in the envelope. I froze as I stared at his dog tags resting inside. _

"_What is it?" Emily asked, not understanding what the signifigance was. She snatched the letter and began to read. "We regret to inform you that Victor Creed was found guilty of murdering an officer and sentenced to death by firing squad. His sentence was carried out at 0800 on Nov. 7." _

"_What about Jimmy?" I managed to stammer. "Is there anything else?" _

"_No." Emily replied. She took the envelope from me and dumped the contents into her palm. "There's two sets of tags here. Who's Howlett?"_

_Dead. They were both dead. I let out a howl and clenched my fists, my claws extending in my palms and causing blood to drip onto the dirt. Snatching the tags away from Emily, I started running, slashing at anyone who was stupid enough to get in my way. Never mind that these people were my friends and wouldn't harm a fly. I had lost my mate and right now, I was out for blood. When my energy was finally exerted, I collapsed in the middle of a pile that consisted of several bodies. My face was drenched in tears and blood and I clutched the tags so tightly that I was afraid I'd bend them. My flowered dress was torn and I put the tags around my neck. I'd find Victor and Jimmy. _

_It took some bribing but I managed to get to the base where Victor and Jimmy were stationed. After a long and irritating navigation of the base, I found a secretary of sorts. He called his superior, Major Stryker, and he spoke with me. "What can I do for you, miss?"_

"_I received a letter that Victor Creed and James Howlett were..." I choked on the word. "Executed. I needed to know if it was true." _

_Stryker sighed and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Sweetheart, I'm afraid it is true. Privates Creed and Howlett had their sentence carried out several days ago." _

"_Can I see them?" _

"_I'm sorry." He didn't seem sorry at all. "They aren't here." _

"_Where are they?" _

"_I can't disclose that information unless you're a family member." Stryker said. _

"_I'm Victor's girlfriend." _

_Stryker shook his head. "I can't tell you anything except that I'm sorry for your loss."_

_He turned on his heel and walked down a corridor. I huffed and stalked out of the building then followed his scent, tracking him to a different building. I found his office and entered before he did, waiting for him. When he entered, I grabbed his jacket and shoved him against the wall, my claws extending and ready to strike. "Tell me where Victor and Jimmy are or I'll kill you." _

"_You must be a mutant too." Stryker surprised me by smiling. "I could use a woman like you."_

"_Cut the shit." I shoved my arm against his throat. "Where is Victor?"_

"_Gone." Footsteps approached and hands yanked me away from Stryker. He straightened his jacket then continued. "I believe you know your father and grandfather. They've been especially helpful."_

_Father and Granddad started to drag me away, struggling to keep their grip on me. "Come, Charlotte. Give up this man." _

"_Victor!" I screamed as they pulled me down the hall. "Victor!" _

"We're here." Storm's voice brought me out of my memory and I looked out the front window. We had landed in a field with a treeline in close sight. A cabin was barely visible in the middle of the trees.

"Wait here." I said, moving to get off the jet. "I don't know how he'll react to me, let alone you."

"I'm comin'." Logan got up, chewing on an unlit cigar. "Just in case."

A change in his scent told me that he wasn't going to change his mind so we got off the plane and approached the cabin carefully. I pushed open the door and found a fire burning but an empty living room. Logan closed the door behind us and I continued my exploration of the cabin. I opened a door and found a massive bed, jumping when the door slammed behind me, a hand wrapping around my throat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Victor?" My eyes adjusted to the dark room. "I need your help."

Logan was pounding on the door, trying to get it open. The combination of my body against it and Victor's grip holding me there kept him from doing so. His grip tightened and I knew he wouldn't kill me but it was difficult to breathe. "Please. Our daughter needs your help."

"What daughter?" Victor growled.

"She's four and very sick. Her name is Roxanne."

Victor hesitated but released me. "Prove it."

"I have a picture of her in my locket." I said. "Can we go in the other room so you can see?"

He grunted but nodded and followed me out, snarling when he saw Logan. I stepped between the two as growls erupted. "Victor, please."

I opened my locket and he examined the picture, taking in her features. I took a minute to observe the difference in his appearance. Long blonde hair had replaced his short, dark hair and his clothes now consisted of furs. His eyebrows seemed to connect with his hair and ultimately making him look like a wild man. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's got a virus and we think your genes can save her." I looked in his eyes and I begged, "I know I don't deserve anything from you but she's my everything. Please help me."

He waited for a long few minutes before he finally replied. "Fine. Not for you. For her."

"Thank you."

-0-

The plane ride back to the school was tense and awkward. It took a lot of willpower to not look at him, even though I could feel his eyes on me. Logan seemed unconcerned when he led us to the elevator and took us to the lower levels.

"Where is she?" Victor demanded and I showed him where she was sleeping. He approached her bed carefully and stood over her. Logan and I had a quiet conversation where I convinced him to go away and leave us alone for now. When we were alone, I joined Victor next to the bed. "She's perfect."

"She's a lot like you." I couldn't help but smile when I looked at Roxie. Brushing her hair away from her face, I noticed her fever was still high. "I love her very much."

"I finally marked you." Victor drew my attention to his face. He was examining the scars he had left on my face.

Dr. McCoy cleared his throat as he entered the room. "Mr. Creed, I need some blood from you."

Victor grumbled but knew it was for Roxie, who he seemed to fall in love with immediately, and sat down, pulling his sleeve up. When his blood was drawn, McCoy said that Xavier offered a room upstairs for me for the duration of my stay then left us alone. We sat in silence for a long while, just watching our daughter. I lost track of time until Logan requested we go upstairs and meet with the professor.

"During your stay, Mr. Creed, you will stay away from the students." Xavier's tone left no room for argument. "You will also dress in a more civilized manner. Charlotte, he may use the facilites in your room."

I nodded. "Do you have some clothes he can wear?"

"Logan will send some up." Xavier said. "If you assault any of our students or make them feel threatened, then I will use the forces at our disposal to keep them safe."

"He won't cause a problem." I promised. We were dismissed and I followed my scent to the room I used this morning, pushing the door open and letting Victor in. He showered, taking longer than I expected but I spent the time pacing the floor of the room. When he exited, a towel wrapped around his waist and the muscles of his body still defined, I ignored the lust that pulsed through me. Logan hadn't brought the clothes yet so I turned my attention to his hair. Using my brush to de tangle the blonde mess, I proceeded to secure it in a low ponytail and keep it out of his face. Finally, clothes were delivered and I turned my back so Victor could get dressed.

"Gettin' shy now?" He asked, coming up close enough behind me that I could feel his breath on my neck. "Don't be. It doesn't suit you."

"Are you dressed?" I breathed, resisting the urge to pin him to the wall and claim my mate. "We should get back."

"Am I making you nervous?" Victor's lips hovered an inch over my skin but his animal instinct wouldn't let him touch me unless I invited it. All I had to do was lean into him and he would be mine again.

**A/N: Well, folks? Does she ask him to take her back or no? Would you be interested in hearing the past relationship (and first meeting of Charlie and Victor)? Leave a review and let me know. For anyone who's interested, this story was set before X Men 1 and 2. Some themes from X Men 3 will be introduced from here on in. :) **

**Brigid: His appearance in previous chapters has been based off the Liev version but after he's rejected, he turns into the blonde animal man. **

**OptimusPrimegirl: Virtual cheek kisses to you, dearie. Thanks for always reviewing. (love your username, btw)**

**Jinx: Yes, a second mutation is rare but it's not a natural mutation. The connection to Logan will click soon but she's got a lot on her mind. :) Hopefully the flashback was something you enjoyed. **


	14. Chapter 14

_1840_

"_Father, please." I begged him, my dress rustling behind me as I chased him down the corridor of the Palace of Versailles. "I want to go." _

"_A woman does not have adventures and a female will not cross oceans without a mate to care for her." Father replied cooly. "We are in the most beautiful country in the world. Why would you want to go to wild territories?"_

"_For adventure." I explained. "I want to go and see things that haven't been seen before. It's just the woods, Father. I can handle myself. The colonies are hardly wild." _

"_But you aren't wanting to go to the colonies. You wish to travel north." Father turned to look at me. "Charlotte, I just want you to be safe. You cannot go alone and I do not have anyone to chaperone you. It must be another time. Come meet your grandfather's guest. I expect you to be a good hostess to Master Howlett." _

"_Ugh, another stuffy old man who thinks he can mate me." I mumbled. I stomped after my father with my arms crossed over my chest, grumbling about the restrictive customs of our family. Who cared if we were from the French court? I certainly didn't and glared at my brother as he elbowed me in the side when we arrived in the ballroom. Whispering to Christien, I asked, "Who is Master Howlett? Why is he here?"_

"_Grandfather invited him. He thinks that Master Howlett can tame you." Christien grinned like a cat and I stomped his foot before earning a stern look from Mother. _

_There were members and Alphas from packs across the known world, all of them wanting to make an alliance with my father and grandfather. What better way than mating with the jewel of Grandfather's eye? I danced with several Alphas before Christien and I sat down to eat._

"_What do you think, Lottie?" Grandfather asked while we dined. He had spared no expense for this party. "Any one of these males could do well by you." _

"_They're frightfully dull," I answered, sipping my wine. "Do I have to meet more?"_

"_It's your duty, my dear." He took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it with a fond smile. "I wouldn't allow them near you if I didn't think they were worthy of you."_

"_Where is Master Howlett from?" I asked, scanning the room for him. "I've not heard the name before." _

"_It's an opportunity to join with the Northwest Territories." Grandfather answered. "He has a brother too, but the brother is hardly fit to be anyone's mate." _

"_What happened to his brother?" _

"_It seems he got himself sent away from the Territories and sentenced to labor in the desert." _

"_What did he do?" _

"_He murdered an entire town." Grandfather shook his head as he spoke. "There was a man who wronged him and he couldn't control his animal. Now, enough talk of these things. May I dance with my diamond?" _

"_Oui, Grandpere." I smiled at him and we moved to the dance floor, dancing as the music played. I loved my grandfather very much and he doted on me, granting me almost anything I wanted but this was one area he wouldn't relent on. _

"_I'm going to get some air." I curtsied to my grandfather and he bowed and I escaped to the balcony. I let out a deep breath before I realized I wasn't alone. A man was smoking a cigar and glanced my way with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here." _

"_No. I—It's fine." He muttered, puffing on his cigar. "Just needed a break from the-inside." _

"_Me too." I replied. "This doesn't really seem like your type of event. I'm here because I have to but you seem more like a woodsman." _

_He acutally chuckled. "I'm here to meet some spoiled brat. Just cause my brother gets shipped off somewhere means I'm in charge of mating the princess of the freaking French pack." He took another puff of his cigar. "What's your name?"_

"_Charlotte Dubois. Spoiled brat and princess of the freaking French pack at your service." I curtsied and giggled at the awkward look on his face. "You must be Master Howlett. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't want to meet you either."_

"_Really?" Master Howlett raised a curious eyebrow. "You don't like this whole fancy dance and clothes routine?"_

"_Not really. I wanted to go on an adventure." I leaned against a marble column. "Father made me come." _

"_What kind of adventure?" Howlett asked. _

"_I don't know. Anything except this—being forced into a relationship for an alliance that means nothing to me." _

"_Let's go have an adventure, then." _

"_What?" _

"_You want to have an adventure, then let's go." He laughed at my surprised look. "What?"_

"_You could be a psycopath. You could kill me." I scoffed. _

"_You gonna be a pain my ass?" _

"_No." _

"_Then I won't kill you." Howlett sat on the edge of the balcony and swung his legs over, letting them dangle over the side. _

_I shrieked as he jumped, looking over the edge and fully expecting him to be splattered on the grass. He looked up at me expectantly. "You comin'?"_

"_Are you going to catch me?" I called down to him, my heart pounding. _

"_Won't know unless you jump." _

_This was stupid and juvenile but I found myself sitting on the balcony's edge and closing my eyes as I shoved myself off it. I landed in strong arms, the wind knocked out of me and looked up into Howlett's smiling face. "Name's Jimmy." _

"_Nice to meet you." I held his gaze for a moment before he put me down._

"_There's a ship that leaves at midnight. If we hurry, we can catch it." _

"_Where's it going?" _

"_Does it matter?" _

_We started running, barely making it to the harbor before the ship was ready to leave. The captain recognized me and let us board. I watched France disappear into the horizon with Jimmy standing next to me, a fluttering in my stomach. I was going to have an adventure. _

_-0-_

_The ship we had boarded wasn't one of the steamships and I enjoyed the way the ship dove and rose with the waves. Jimmy and I spent the days together but my favorite part of the day was when the sun went down and we sat on the deck to stare at the stars. _

"_You're not what I expected. I thought you'd be uptight and irritating." Jimmy admitted a few days into our journey. I had my head resting on his shoulder, drifting towards sleep when I felt him put a finger under his chin and pull my face up to look at him. His lips pressed against mine and my mind burst awake as he pulled away, the kiss over as abruptly as it started. _

"_What am I like?" I said softly, glancing at his lips then back to his eyes. I thought he was going to kiss me again but he opted to brush my hair away from my neck and placed a kiss on my shoulder. _

"_Beautiful." He moved a few inches and kissed the spot where my neck and shoulder joined. "Smart." Another kiss on my neck. "Brave." His lips pressed against my jawline. "Adventrous." Jimmy hovered his lips over mine, like he was waiting for permission then cleared his throat and moved away. "You should go to your cabin." _

_I was confused but nodded and stood, making my way to my cabin and closing the door once I entered. I really thought he liked me. One of the sailors had lent me a comb and I used it to de tangle my hair, combing through the long locks while I wondered why Jimmy stopped. I tried to unfasten my dress but my shaking hands made it difficult as I replayed where his lips touched my skin. My heart jumped when I heard the door open and Jimmy stepped through it. We stared at each other for a long few minutes before I said, "Could you help me? I can't get my dress unfastened."_

_He nodded and closed the door, stepping closer to me. I turned around and pulled my hair over my shoulder so he could undo the buttons. His fingers trembled as they pushed the small buttons through the holes. The off the shoulder sleeves kept the dress up when it was unfastened but I held it up as I turned around to thank him. Instead I asked, "Why'd you stop?" _

"_Because if I didn't stop there, I wouldn't have." Jimmy answered with a husky voice. I got goosebumps at his words and he spoke again. "Tell me to leave." _

_I shook my head slowly. "I can't." _

"_Why?" Jimmy asked. _

"_I don't want you to." _

_That was enough of an invitation for him and he put a hand on the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss. This kiss was different than the one on deck; it was hungry, it was bruising, and it was demanding. I slid my fingers up his chest and wove my fingers in his hair, tugging on the dark strands and causing Jimmy to growl. The sound sent a shiver to my core and Jimmy pushed my dress off my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. His palms were calloused but the difference in textures made me groan. He stopped kissing me long enough to pick me up bridal style and lay me on the small bed, stepping back to look at my body. Jimmy pulled his loose shirt over his head and then settled himself on top of me, using his forearms to keep from crushing me. "Kiss me." _

_I did. _

_We spent every night together for the remainder of the voyage and after we landed, Jimmy found a hotel for us. We didn't have any money but he found a labor job and soon we managed to buy a small cabin. It had only one room, a small mattress in the corner with a stove on the other side. We bought a dresser to house the clothes we purchased and a little kitchen table. It was a little cramped but it was ours and I loved it. Falling for Jimmy was quick and enveloping. Waking up to him every morning and falling next to him every night was the best thing in the world and definitely worth leaving the luxury I had lived in all my life. I loved him and I hoped that nothing would ever change. _

_-0-_

_Several months after we obtained our little slice of heaven, there was a knock at the door. We had just finished making love and I was wearing his shirt. Jimmy pulled on his pants and went to go answer it. _

"_Hello, Jimmy." A voice sent shivers down my spine. _

"_What are you doing here, Victor?" Jimmy got right to the point. _

"_Can't a guy check on his little brother?" Victor chuckled, pushing his way in the cabin. He noticed me in the bed and smiled at me. "Am I interrupting?"_

"_No." _

_Victor's eyes glittered. "We got a job, Jimmy. Get her out and let's go." _

"_I have a name." I finally spoke. _

"_What would that be, sweetheart?"_

"_Charlotte." _

"_I'm not kicking her out." Jimmy said, moving to block me from Victor's view. "She lives here." _

"_Then bring her." Victor shrugged. "She gets killed, it's her own fault." _

-0-

Lynx was screaming at me to just lean a few centimeters into our mate, to inhale his scent deeply and never let him go. I'm not proud that I turned to face him and started to lean forward, my lips parting to whisper a name. "Jimmy."

"What?" Victor snarled.

"He's here." The scent had finally registered in my mind. "Why didn't you tell me when you saw him?"

"You didn't ask." To say Victor was pissed was a massive understatement. In an intimate moment I had said his brother's name and not his.

"Why hasn't Jimmy said anything?"

"He don't remember a damn thing unless it's from the past fifteen years, kitten." Victor said. "He doesn't even remember I'm his brother."

I'd have to ask Xavier about that later. "I thought he was dead! I thought you both were!"

"Why the hell would you think that?" Victor was honestly confused.

"Because that's what Stryker told me! He said you were gone!" I ran a hand through my hair, moving away from Victor. "When you showed up at the bar, why didn't you tell me? Or when we were with my pack? You knew I loved him!"

"It wasn't any of your business what he's up to. He's not your mate. I am."

I did the dumbest thing in the world. I slapped Victor as hard as I could. A handprint was already forming on his face when I growled, "Don't you _dare _make decisions for me."

Storming out of the room, I was furious. I loved Victor because I had to but I had loved Jimmy because I wanted to and Victor knew there was a difference. I headed for the elevator, gasping softly when the door opened and Jimmy was there with a stack of clothes in his hands. "Hey, these are for- what the hell?"

I had thrown my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck and breathing in his scent. He was confused like nobody's business but I held tightly to him, letting tears fall against his skin. "I thought you were dead, James."

An involuntary shiver coursed through him and I knew why. I only called him by his given name in the most intimate moments of our relationship, something that he loved—or had loved. I felt his arms wrap around my waist reluctantly and I melted into him. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"I thought I'd lost you." I whispered.

He finally pulled me away from him so he could look into my eyes and used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear. Remember how I said that slapping Victor was the dumbest thing I could have done? I was wrong. What I said next was the dumbest thing I could have done. "Kiss me."

He did.

-0-

Logan was bringing clothes up to the asshat that had been brought here when he saw Charlie by the elevator, a flash of relief and something else on her face before she threw herself in his arms. She smelled good, a cinnamon scent that sent blood rushing below his belt. He felt her tears wet his skin and her body quivered as she breathed shakily.

"I thought you were dead, James." He couldn't help the rush of adrenaline down my spine when she said the name. It sounded familiar and foreign at the same time. Her breath was warm against his neck. He put my arms around her waist and she relaxed against him. He held back the satisfied rumbling that wanted to let her know he was pleased. He didn't even know why she was pleased.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" He asked gently, not wanting to cause any trouble. Charlie pulled back from him and he frowned at the tear trails that were falling down her cheeks. He lifted his palm to her face, using his thumb to wipe the tears away.

"Kiss me." The words were barely a whisper. If he hadn't been a feral, he wouldn't have heard them. His eyes drifted to the scars that tattooed her lips. He had been wanting to taste them since she first arrived. Something about her was warm and familiar and when he leaned down to kiss her, it felt as though he had done it a thousand times before. Her lips were soft with slight indentations where she was marked and her tongue moved with his perfectly but it was the soft mewling sounds that were coming from her mouth that did him in. He hadn't kissed anyone since Jean died.

When the redheaded telepath crossed his mind, he pulled away from Charlie, ignoring the slight blush on her cheeks and the puffy deliciousness of her lips. The elevator had taken them to the lower levels and he remained on the contraption while she exited. It wasn't until the doors closed that he allowed to let out a breath he had been holding. He shook his head to clear it and collected the clothes that were previously folded but were now scattered on the elevator floor. All he had to do was deliver them to Sabretooth without killing him.

**A/N: Gasp! Scandal! :) Jimmy and Charlie's relationship, along with the progression to Victor and Charlie's relationship and the resolution between the three's past relationship will span over several chapters. It was too much to put in one. What do you guys think of Charlie and Jimmy so far? Leave a review and let me know what you think! I meant to have this up hours ago but today has been a complete disaster and I'm going to comic con (whoohoo) so I'm too excited to sleep. **

**Thanks to my reviewers and those of you who have read/followed/favorited. **

**Jinx: Your wish is my command, dearie. The flashbacks will be shown and I hope you like them. They're dedicated to you. :)**

**brigid: Unfortunately, their first meeting wasn't romantic but I think it was so very Victor. :) I'm glad you liked him falling in love with his daughter immediately. It's hard not to when you see little chubby cheeks. :) **

**OptimusPrimegirl: mwah! Hope you enjoyed this chapter dahling!**

**Samwilde: You have no idea how much this review made me smile. I'm glad you read it all in one sitting and I hope it continues to be satisfactory for you. I took your advice and I hope you liked what I did with it. :) **

**I love all my readers! **


	15. Chapter 15

"_Roxie." A woman's kind voice was calling to the little girl. "Wake up, Roxie." _

_Roxie's eyes fluttered open and saw a redheaded woman with a kind face and a warm smile. "Nixie!"_

_Nixie chuckled as Roxie threw herself into her arms and hugged her. "How are you feeling?"_

"_Everything hurt before but it's better now." Roxie released Nixie from the hug and took her hand instead. They were in the backyard of her home, the picnic table set for a tea party. "Where's Mommy?"_

"_She's not here right now." Nixie sat down at the picnic table and poured some tea for the two of them. _

"_Where is she?" Roxie asked, curious. Her mother was always around. _

"_You know you're special, right Roxie?" Nixie tossed her hair out of her face and smiled again. "Now you have even more special powers that could help so many people. But your mommy is scared of what you can do. Don't you want to help people?"_

"_Mommy says that we should always help people." Roxie nodded. Her face brightened visibly when she realized something. "Will this make the other kids be my friends if I help them?"_

"_Yes, it will." Nixie promised. "They will see mutants in a whole new light. Your daddy is here, did you know that?"_

"_No. Is he nice?"_

"_Not really but he won't hurt you. He's my friend and he'll bring you to come play with me, if you'd like." _

"_We can have a real tea party?" Roxie was excited. _

"_Absolutely. But you have to listen to your daddy. He sounds mean and angry but he loves you very much." Nixie said. "You have to do one thing first, though." _

"_What?" _

"_Wake up." Nixie whispered. "This is our secret."_

-0-

"Hi."

Hank jumped when he heard the little girls' voice crack and turned to see her sitting up, rubbing her eyes. "Hello, little one. How are you feeling?"

"I'm thirsty." Roxie said, holding her puppy close. "Can I have something to drink?"

"Of course." Hank gave her a cup of water and she drank it quickly. "Do you mind if I do a quick exam? I want to make sure everything is all right."

"Okay." Roxie nodded and handed the cup back to him.

"Do you know your name?" Hank asked, shining a light in her ears and taking a look.

"Roxanne Adelaide Creed."

"How old are you?"

"I'm four!" She exclaimed proudly, holding up the appropriate amount of fingers. "Where's Mommy?"

"Getting some rest, I believe. She's hardly left your side since you've been ill."

"Nixie says I'm special." Roxie patted the head of her stuffed puppy.

Hank chuckled. "You are special, dear. Would you like to go find your mother?"

"Are you done with the eggsam?"

Hank smiled widely at the mispronunciation. "Yes, I am."

He offered her his hand and she took it, hopping off the exam table and walking with him quietly for a few seconds. "You're blue."

"I am." Hank replied.

"I like blue." Roxie said simply.

The elevator deposited them on the upper levels and she when she saw the other children, she grinned from ear to ear and looked up at Hank. "Can I go play?" 

"I don't see why not. Some of them have a free period." Hank said. "But play careful. Not all of them have a healing factor like your parents."

Roxie nodded and ran to find a playmate, finding one in Storm.

"What have you got here?" Storm asked, patting the stuffed toy's head.

"His name is Pierre." Roxie smiled up at the white haired woman. "I'm a-scared of the dark and he keeps the monsters away."

"There's no such thing as monsters, you know that, right?" Storm said kindly.

Roxie frowned and looked sad. "The kids on my street say I'm a monster."

Storm's heart broke and she knelt down to look in Roxie's eyes. "Sweetheart, you aren't a monster. You are a very special child. Soon the other kids will see it."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Storm smiled at her.

"Mommy!"

-0-

Hank came and found me when I was getting some fresh air. Sitting by Roxie's bedside and being trapped in the mansion with Jimmy and Victor was a little tense. When he found me, I was expecting the worst. "Is she-?"

"She's awake and asking for you." Hank smiled and I ran past him into the building, scanning the area for my Roxie. I found her playing with Ororo, or as she preferred to be called Storm.

"Mommy!" She shrieked when she noticed me and ran towards me in a very Victor-esque manner, almost knocking me to the ground when she slammed into me. I felt a rib or two crack but they would heal and it was worth it to have her healthy again.

"Baby girl," I squeezed her tightly, relieved tears filling my eyes. "You're okay. You're okay."

I peppered her face with kisses and she giggled, then buried her face in my neck, breathing deeply. "Mr. Hank said that Daddy's here."

"He is." I nodded, pulling away from her so I could gauge her reaction. "Would you like to meet him?"

She nodded and I carried her outside to the front of the mansion. He was sitting on the stone wall and stood when he saw me approach with Roxie in my arms. "Victor, this is Roxanne."

Roxie looked up at me and when I nodded encouragingly at her, she squirmed to be let down and cautiously approached Victor. "Are you my daddy?"

"Yes, I am." I could smell his hesitance and a tinge of...fear? Unease? Roxie could smell it too.

"Don't be a-scared of me." Roxie looked at the ground sadly. "I'm not scary."

Victor chuckled softly. "I'm not afraid of you, Roxanne."

"Mommy calls me Roxie." She smiled at him. "You can too...if you want."

Victor just nodded once then he did something I never thought he'd do. He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her in his arms. His breath wavered as he hugged her. "Can I have a few minutes alone with her?"

I nodded. He tightened his grip on her and stood, walking a few yards ahead of me. I'd give them a few minutes of privacy but I didn't trust him any longer than that. I turned away for a second and when I turned back, Victor was almost to the gate, sprinting as fast as he could. Clenching my jaw, I bolted after them as he leapt over the wall. I could hear Roxie crying for me as I got over the wall. Victor had loaded her into a car and it was driving away. Victor was waiting for me with his claws legenthed.

"Give me back my daughter and I swear I won't kill you." I snarled, my own claws ready to strike.

"I don't want to hurt you." Victor warned. "I didn't have a choice."

"You made a choice, Victor!" I screamed. "You betrayed your daughter! Where are they taking her?"

"She'll be safe, Charlie." Victor told me, like that was supposed to make me feel better.

Lynx burst forth and I threw myself at Victor, slashing at his face, shoving my claws into his abdomen, whatever tender flesh or pressure point there was, my claws went into. I was not going to have my daughter taken by these people. Victor matched my attack, blow for blow, until he decided he had enough and delivered a bone crunching kick to my spine, dropping me to the ground with an agonizing cry. I watched him walk away and I howled, "You better make sure I'm dead."

He paused.

I spoke through the tears and ache and pain. "Because I'm going to find you and I will kill you."

Victor turned and I saw his claws legthen. James would find Roxie, I assured myself. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of turning away from Victor when he killed me. I stared him in the eyes and dared him to do it. "It didn't have to be like this."

-0-

_1841_

"_I love you." I told Jimmy before he left. He was going to fix a mistake Victor had made but he didn't tell me anymore than that. He never did and I didn't press him for details. "I'll be here waiting when you get back." _

_He kissed me deeply and I sucked on his bottom lip, making him moan. "If you do that, I won't be leavin' at all." _

"_Sounds good to me." I chuckled and kissed him again. "I wish you didn't have to go." _

"_Gotta keep Vic out of trouble." _

"_He's not your responsibility." _

"_Are you leaving or what?" Victor grumbled, picking the dirt from under his claws. I glared at him and Jimmy turned to face him. _

"_Yeah, I'm leaving." _

_Victor smirked then said to Jimmy, "What? No goodbye kiss for me?"_

_In response, I threw a book at him. Jimmy kissed my cheek and he left the house, closing the door behind him. We had purchased a larger home when Victor announced he would be staying with us. I didn't like being alone with Victor and his brother wasn't overly thrilled about it either but there was nothing to be done. Despite the size of the house, we didn't have a staff and I didn't mind. I enjoyed taking care of us. I was chopping vegetables for dinner when I felt Victor come up behind me, pressing his body close to mine. "Get away, Creed." _

"_You know as well as I do that you don't mean that." Victor purred, leaning his mouth close to my ear and his hands on either side of me, effectively boxing me in. _

"_I love your brother." _

"_Maybe you do, maybe you don't." Victor shrugged. "But we both know that you're mine." _

"_I haven't done anything to make you think that." I reminded him. _

"_You're my mate, sweetheart." Victor said. "You know Jimmy may love you but he can't keep you forever." _

"_Don't you have a village to terrify?" I snapped. "There is no force in the world that could make me choose you over Jimmy." _

"_How about this?" Victor purred dangerously. "Accept me as your mate and I won't kill Jimmy." _

"_He's your brother." _

"_You're my mate. That trumps brother." _

_I'd be lying if I said I hadn't known that he was my mate but like I told Victor, I loved James. Genetically though, I knew that meant nothing. I had been able to feel the genetic disposition to mate with Victor taking over in the last year but I was fighting it. I wanted James. I loved James. This wasn't a decision I could make without advice and the one person whose advice I wanted was in France. Jimmy would be gone for several weeks but I could leave word for him in town and let him know where I was going. _

_Victor insisted on going with me, saying that he can't let his mate go off on her own. Grandfather met us at the harbor and I ran to his open arms, smiling as he hugged me tightly. "I've missed you, Charlotte." _

"_And I missed you, Grandpere." I kissed his cheek fondly as Victor carried my trunk down the gangplank. _

"_Who is your companion?" Grandfather asked, turning to Victor. He stiffened after Victor introduced himself. _

"_I was hoping I could speak with you about that." I said softly. _

_My parents were thrilled to see me, as was Christien. Victor found something to occupy himself and I was sure I didn't know what it was. Grandfather and I walked in the gardens, my arm linked through his. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"_

"_Jimmy and I have been quite happy in the Northern Territories. I love him very much." _

"_I sense there is more than you're telling me." He smiled warmly at me. _

_I sighed and continued. "Victor arrived about a year ago and he says he's my mate. I can feel myself being pulled toward him but I love Jimmy. What do I do?"_

"_Charlotte, you know as well as I that nature has chosen those who can provide for us best. You may love Master Howlett but Master Creed is the one you have to be with." Grandfather wasn't happy. "Master Creed is not ideal in my eyes but I cannot hold you back from a man who will take care of my diamond. It would be kinder for you to terminate your relationship with Master Howlett now and give him a chance to find his own mate." _

"_But I love him." _

"_I wish that were enough." Grandfather kissed my temple and changed the subject. "Come. I have arranged a party in honor of your arrival."_

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks to the new alerts and favorites. :) I received an idea on a review from Samwilde asking if I thought about showing things from the boy's perspective and was wondering if you guys would be interested in that. If so, let me know and leave a review. I love you guys! **

**A huge, fantastic, ginormous thank you to my reviewers. Normally I would thank you individually but my laptop is going to die but know that I love you guys and your support gets chapters up quickly. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

_1841, Palace of Versailles_

_Jimmy groaned at the ache in his back when he walked down the gangplank. The damn bed in his cabin had been too short—again—but he had arrived safely. After getting back to his home and finding Victor and Charlie absent, he almost got angry but went to check with Abigail, one of Charlie's friends. She had left word saying that she had gone home for a visit and Victor insisted on going with her. A part of him was glad he kept her safe but the rest of him was uneasy at her being alone with his brother. He wasn't worried about infidelity, he knew her well enough to know that wouldn't happen, but he did worry about Victor's ability to control himself. _

_Pierre had extended an invitation to Jimmy to come to Versailles the prior year, when Charlie had told her grandfather where she went. To say that the elder Dubois was ecstatic over the match was an understatement, hence the invitation. _

_Thanks to Victor's lack of self control, he had killed a princess of some sorts and pissed off the English Royal Family. Thankfully, the princess was a mutant and her healing factor was extraordinary, bringing her back from the dead but that didn't make the Royals any less pissed. Victor would have to beg for their forgiveness if he wanted to get the bounty off his head. And that's why Jimmy had arrived in France. He would pick up his brother and go to England and hopefully it would all blow over. Then he could get back to Charlie, whether it was here in France or on their little piece of land. He didn't care, really, as long as he could be around her._

_He arrived at the palace and heard the music playing from the foyer. Jimmy didn't let the butler take his coat because he'd be leaving as soon as he found Victor. There was dancing in the main dining hall and Jimmy stood in the entryway, his eyes scanning the room for Charlie. He found her sitting next to her grandfather, a hand on his forearm and her mouth open as she laughed. Her chestnut hair was curled and pinned up, a few tendrils down around her neck. The dress she wore was a pale yellow, a color that he was partial to as long as she wore it. Her shoulders were bared and a diamond necklace draped around her neck. Even from this distance, he saw the braided leather bracelet he had given her on her birthday. She was beautiful. _

_Victor approached her and offered his hand so they could dance. Jimmy saw her stiffen but she nodded once and joined him, allowing him to put an arm around her waist and placing her hand in his. He knew Victor saw him and restrained a growl when his brother leaned down to scent Charlie, trying to goad him into attacking. To her credit, Charlie pulled away from him, finally noticing that Jimmy had arrived. With a wide smile, she approached her lover and greeted him with a kiss then whispered, "May I have this dance, James?"_

_Hearing his name on her lips always had the intended effect and he let a small growl escape his lips, resisting the urge to carry her to the closest private room and have his way with her. It was harder than he thought, especially when she pressed her body flush against his as she kissed him again. "I'd love to but I'm here for Victor." _

_Charlie pouted but released him and said, "You owe me a dance." _

"_I look forward to it." He smiled down at her, which quickly turned to a frown when Victor finally joined them. "We need to go."_

"_Don't trust me with your girl, Jimmy boy?" Victor taunted. _

"_You've got a family to apologize to." Jimmy raised an eyebrow at his brother who, to his surprise, said he'd come with him without an argument. With a promise to Charlie that he'd return soon, Jimmy escorted his brother to the harbor. _

_Victor was using a claw to carve nonsensical designs into the railing of the ship when Jimmy said, "You need to keep away from her."_

"_It's not up to me." Victor didn't look at his brother. "She's my mate. You know it, she knows it. It's time that you let me have her." _

_Jimmy growled at Victor. "You're dangerous. She has trouble controlling herself and you wouldn't help her." _

"_You think you can?" Victor scoffed. _

"_I know I can." _

_Victor brushed the wood shavings away and straightened himself to his full height. "Doesn't really matter. It's not an issue of 'if' she leaves you, it's a matter of 'when'. Charlotte and I have already had several...shall we say special moments and I can understand the appeal of her. The way she smells when she's ready and willing is like a hit straight to my-"  
><em>

_Jimmy's hand closed around Victor's throat with a snarl but Victor laughed and shoved his brother's hand away, fixing his coat. "She may love you but that doesn't mean anything when you're not her mate. She'll end up in my bed and you can find your own bitch." _

_His words were meant to enrage Jimmy and they had the desired effect but Howlett controlled himself. Charlie wouldn't like it if he killed Victor because he had been doing so well at controlling himself. She didn't like Creed but he wasn't worth starting over for. That thought alone spared his brother's life. _

"_I'm not letting her go." _

"_What if she wants to leave?" Victor posed an interesting question. _

_Jimmy sighed roughly. "If Charlie decides to leave, I'll let her go. But I know her. I know how she thinks and I know she loves me just as much as I love her." _

"_Keep tellin' yourself that." _

-0-

Roxie had been watching Victor for a long while when they arrived at the house where he was instructed to take her. They were waiting for his employer to show up and Victor, to his amazement, was feeling guilty over abducting Roxie. She seemed to notice. "Are you sad, Daddy?"

"No."

"Are you scared?" Roxie asked with childish curiosity. When Victor didn't answer, she said, "It's okay if you are. Mommy says everybody gets scared but being scared makes us brave."

Roxie furrowed her eyebrows when he stayed silent and jumped off the couch she was on, moving to climb onto the loveseat Victor was sitting on. "Mommy sings to me when I'm scared. I can teach you the words, if you want."

"I told you I'm not scared." Victor said, more harshly than he intended. Roxie jumped slightly and frowned, obviously disappointed. With a sigh, Victor said, "Let's get some food."

"Can we have sandwiches?" Roxie took his hand and looked up at him expectantly.

"Sure, kid." He found some cold cuts in the refrigerator and put together a sandwich, sliding the plate in front of her. Roxie stared at the sandwich for several seconds before Victor asked, "What?"

"The crust is still on it."

Victor groaned inwardly but extended a claw, slicing the crust off the bread. Roxie deemed the sandwich safe to eat now that it was crust free and Victor enjoyed the quiet. The sound of car doors slamming made his ears twitch and he was happy to have backup. Roxie wasn't hard to handle but he was uncomfortable. Something else that surprised him.

Roxie squealed and ran to his employer, throwing her arms around her neck. "Nixie! You're here."

The redhead squeezed the little girl back, then pulled back to smile at her. "Yes, I am, Roxie. I told you I would be."

Victor stood and found a bottle of liquor, pouring himself a drink before addressing his employer. "Phoenix."

"Sabretooth." She replied as she stood, taking Roxie's hand in hers. "I have to admit that I didn't think you could give her the virus. Didn't think you'd have the guts."

"When do I get my payment?" Victor asked, gulping his liquor and pouring another.

"When Roxie and I have our..._friends._" Phoenix replied with a wry smile.

"Friends?" Roxie echoed. "We're going to play with friends?"

"Even better." Phoenix cooed. "You're going to make them."

"People don't like me." Roxie said softly and Phoenix knelt in front of the little girl.

"You're very special," She assured the tiny feral. "Now you have a very special gift that lets you make friends and they'll listen to everything you say. They'll do everything and anything you want. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Roxie nodded with wide eyes and high hopes of new friends. Phoenix continued, "But first, I need you to do something for me."

**A/N: Thanks to the new alerts and new favorites to this story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think! :) A huge thanks to my reviewers, brigid1318, OptimusPrimegirl213, and Jinxofthe2ndLaw. You guys rock. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

I smelled James before I saw him and didn't bother to turn around to face him. My hands were clenched and my claws digging into my palms while my emotions bounced between fury and worry over Roxie's well being. Xavier promised he'd do what he could to find my daughter but it was proving difficult since something was blocking him from finding Victor and Roxie.

"You're dripping blood on the floor." James finally spoke.

I scoffed. "You've never cared about what ended up on the floor."

"Like you'd know." James tossed back.

I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my lips. "I would."

He sighed and I heard him come into the sitting room and take a place on the couch. "You wanna tell me what the elevator was about?"

"I thought you died in 1965." I said softly, knowing he'd hear me. "Man named Stryker led me to believe that."

"Why would you care if I was dead or not?"

"Because I loved you." I finally turned to face him and moved to sit on the couch next to him. "We fell in love in 1840 on the way to the Northern Territories after running away from France."

"What happened then? How'd you end up with Victor?" James asked, clearly skeptical. I didn't want to break his heart a second time but he asked. Taking a deep breath, I told him the story of our relationship.

-0-

_1841_

_I went to the harbor every day, waiting for James' ship to return. When I finally saw it on the horizon, I giggled gleefully and when James finally walked down the gangplank, I ran to meet him halfway. Jumping into his arms, I threw him off balance and we fell into the ocean but we didn't care as we kissed. Victor had to fish us out of the water, which he was less than happy about, but we managed to get home safely. _

"_Did Victor apologize?" I asked, wringing the sea water out of my hair. I noticed James' distracted demeanor and tossed a towel to him to bring him back to reality. "Are you all right, love?" _

"_Just tired." _

"_Get some rest." I smiled up at him. "I'll be back to get you for dinner." _

_The sound of a piano playing made me curious and I followed the sound, fully expecting to find Christien playing but was surprised to see it was Victor. His fingers were moving expertly over the keys and his eyes were closed. Not wanting to disturb him, I walked quietly up to the piano and watched him play. The same hands that had killed so many people were compelling beautiful music from the keys, as gently as James' hands had moved over my skin. He opened his eyes as the song ended and saw me standing there. "It's not polite to stare." _

"_Murder is on the list of poor manners as well, I believe." I gave him a half smile to let him know I was teasing. "I didn't know you could play."_

"_You never asked." Victor replied as he picked up a wine glass I hadn't noticed and took a drink. "You play?"_

"_No. Christien does but I have no talent for musical instruments." I ran my hand along the length of the piano, enjoying the smooth texture under my palm. "I'm better at dancing." _

"_I know." His eyes roamed my figure in an appreciative way and finally he held my gaze, his own filled with desire, lust, and something else I couldn't place. _

"_Did you apologize to the English family?" I asked, changing the subject as Victor's stare had become a bit too intense for me. _

"_Jimmy boy made me." Victor stepped closer to me, leaving only a few inches between us. "Said that I had to if I planned on stayin' with you two. He doesn't want you in danger." _

"_He loves me." I said. _

"_I know." Victor said softly, as though the slightest offense would shatter this moment. His eyes were grey, like the sky after a storm and his fingers brushed an unruly hair back from my face. When I started noticing his lips and the slight stain the red wine had left on them, I knew that being this close to him was a mistake. When I wanted to taste the wine on his lips, I spoke. _

"_I'm not going to betray James." _

"_By keeping him away from his true mate, you are betraying him." Victor wasn't mean but it was the truth and I knew it. I loved Jimmy more than myself but being too selfish to let him go would be horrible for him. He deserved to have someone who'd truly complete him, who'd know him better than he knew himself. A mate filled a void that a lover couldn't. I'd have to let him go. _

"_Charlotte?" James' voice brought me out of my thoughts and to the realization that Victor and I, while not having actually done anything improper, were still too close for his comfort. "Are you all right?"_

"_I am fine, James." I cleared my throat and said, "Can we speak privately?"_

"_Of course." Jimmy put his hand on my lower back, a sign of possession, and we walked silently back to our room. _

"_I thought you were resting." I said after he closed the door. _

"_I wanted to see you. Victor's been in a foul mood since we left England." _

_Jimmy reached out to pull me to him but I stepped out of his grasp. "I need to speak to you." _

"_What's wrong?" _

_I licked my lips and ignored my pounding heart. "I—I'm leaving you." _

"_What?" Jimmy scoffed good naturedly until he realized I was telling the truth. "For Victor?"_

"_You deserve to find your own mate. Your true mate." My eyes burned with tears that soon spilled down my cheeks. "I can't love you the way you deserve to be loved." _

"_Charlotte," Jimmy took my face in his hands and made me look at him. "Is this you or Victor talking?" _

"_Does it matter?" My voice wavered. "I'm not your mate and there's nothing I can do about that fact." _

"_This hasn't bothered you since you came here with Victor." Jimmy wiped away a tear with his thumb. "I've never cared that you weren't my mate because I love you and you love me. I'd rather die than let anything happen to you and we've taken care of each other. Isn't that enough?"_

_He wouldn't let me go so I had to make him. I'd have to lie. "I love him." _

_I could smell the hurt and anger in his scent. "Victor?"_

_My tongue wouldn't say the words again so I just nodded. Jimmy released me and a tear rolled down his cheek. I had broken his heart and I knew it. I wasn't prepared for what he did next. He grabbed my waist and smashed his lips on mine, putting his free hand behind my head. It was a passionate, desperate kiss and I was tempted to stay, our bodies molding together until Victor's words echoed in my head. Against his lips, I said, "James, stop." _

_I pressed our foreheads together when he honored my request, our quiet sobs mingling as I tried to gather the strength to leave him. "I have to go." _

"_Stay just for tonight." Jimmy pleaded. "You can leave in the morning." _

_I shook my head. "If I don't go now, I won't be able to." _

"_Then don't." _

"_I'm sorry." It took every ounce of will power to pull myself away from him and walk through the bedroom door then close it behind me. Victor was waiting for me in the corridor, unconcerned about my tears or his sobbing brother. He extended a hand to me but I walked past him and said, "Can I just have a few minutes alone?" _

_Victor could see that I was barely holding it together so he nodded once then told me he'd be nearby if I needed him. I didn't reply as I found my way to the balcony where I had met James a year before then allowed myself to crumple to the ground, a hand pressed to my mouth to muffle my sobs. Grandfather found me, whether it was the sound of my cries or Victor who led him to me, I didn't know and he collected me in his arms, allowing me to sob into his jacket. He whispered soothing words but they were little comfort to my aching heart. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore and when all that was left was an empty space where my heart should have been, I sent for Victor. He arrived a minute or so after I asked for him. _

"_If I'm your mate, what now?" I asked numbly. _

"_Now we do whatever you want." Victor replied. _

-0-

I watched James' reaction carefully when I finished speaking but it was hard to read him. My fingers nervously moved over the braided leather bracelet that he had given me so long ago and that I had been wearing since. "It took a while before you came around and before we could be together as a...family of sorts. But the last time I saw you was in 1965 when you left to serve in the Vietnam war."

"Why didn't Sabretooth tell you I was alive?" James asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe he didn't know. He had always been very jealous, even after I accepted him as my mate. He didn't like us being alone together and was competitive with you. Did you find your mate?"

"I don't know about mate but there was a woman. She was a doctor here."

"What was her name?"

"Jean." There was a twinge of pain in his voice.

"What happened to her?"

"She died."

"You still love her." I took one of his hands in mine. Mate or no, I still knew him very well. He must've really cared for her. I wasn't going to judge. Even after all that Victor had done, including taking Roxie, I loved him and I hated myself for it. James looked as though he felt responsible for her death.

"Don't make much of a difference now." James said gruffly.

"I'm sorry that you're hurting."

"Why should Sabretooth's girl care?"

"Whether I'm Victor's mate or not, I still care about you." I replied. He was being rude to shield the way he felt and to keep himself from feeling anything else. The guilt would eat him alive if he let it. "I loved Victor because I had to. I was instinctually paired with him. I loved you because I wanted to. My feral may belong to Victor but my heart will always belong to you."

I wasn't looking for a response or asking for a commitment so it surprised me when James kissed me. It was innocent, a mere brushing of the lips, but the message behind it was clear. _Stay._

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit shorter than I wanted it to be but next chapter is going to feature Phoenix and Roxie heavily and I felt it should be it's own chapter. Thanks to all the new alerts and favorites. Leave a review on your way out and let me know what you think. **

**A giant thanks to my reviewers: OptimusPrimegirl, brigid1318, and Jinx of the 2ndLaw. You guys are fantastic and I always look forward to your reviews. **


	18. Chapter 18

Roxie held tightly to Phoenix's hand as they approached the Army base. There were soldiers walking around, some with guns and some without, most of them took a moment to admire the beautiful woman with the beautiful little girl. She was nervous without her mother but she just held Pierre tighter to her chest and looked to her father. He was walking silently next to them but he caught her looking at him then offered a brief half smile.

"Excuse me," A man with a commanding tone stopped them. "Can I see some identification?"

"Of course." Phoenix smiled brightly at the soldier and offered Roxie's hand to him. "Could you hold her hand for me? She likes to wander off."

The soldier glanced between Victor and Phoenix but took Roxie's hand. Phoenix pretended to dig through her purse, looking for her wallet, and used her telekensis to make a gun go off several yards away. It didn't hit anyone, but it was enough to make Roxie jump and accidently scratch the soldier. A scratch was all it took. Phoenix 'found' her wallet and presented her ID. "Jean Grey. I was asked to come here."

The soldier's vision went fuzzy and he tried to blink it away. Shaking his head to clear the accumulating mental fog, he turned to lead Jean Grey to his commanding officer. He didn't notice that Victor and Roxie and snuck away while he was distracted. Phoenix had explained to Roxie what she needed the feral toddler to do. She would make friends for her Nixie and by 'making friends', Phoenix meant using the viral mutation to infect as many soldiers on the base as she could. The redhead had used prettier words but that was the gist. Roxie was confused on how hurting people could help them and it conflicted with what her mother had told her. She had always been told not to hurt people and to treat them with respect and, eventually, they would treat her with respect. But it would be nice to have friends...

-0-

After her 'meeting', Phoenix was giggling to herself about the ignorance of men. She had talked her way into a date with the commanding officer of the base and out of any semblance of trouble that she could have been in. She met up with Victor and Roxie back at the apartment she had rented, confirming with Victor that Roxie did what she was instructed to. Roxie was napping when she arrived and Phoenix went to check on her, shaking her gently to wake her. "Hey, sleepy head."

"Hi." Roxie murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "Where'd you go?"

"I had something to take care of." Phoenix smiled down at her and brushed a stray curl away from Roxie's face. "Do you hear them?"

Roxie nodded. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Yes." Phoenix pulled the blanket over Roxie's already sleeping form and tucked her in. This girl is the perfect accomplice. Eager to please and willing to do what she's told. Phoenix moved to the living room and observed Victor for a few silent minutes. He was using his claws to carve the wood of the coffee table, clearly at war with himself. "Roxie is a very special girl. Much like her mother."

"What's your point?" Victor raised an eyebrow but didn't look at her.

"Just want to make sure that you can kill Charlotte when it comes to it." Phoenix took note of the slight stiffening of his spine. "I would hate for this plan to go awry and you not get your payment."

"Don't worry about me." Victor snarled. "Just make sure nothin' happens to my cub."

"If all goes according to plan, she'll be in your dirty but relatively capable hands." Phoenix smiled at him.

-0-

James had changed since I had last seen him. He seemed to have made friends, particularly one girl by the name of Rogue. Name was a bit odd but whatever works. It was probably her mutant name. She was pretty, with brunette hair and a white bangs. I also noticed her skin was almost completely covered at any given point of the day. James and Rogue were close, similar to my relationship with Grandfather, but they were good for each other. I also spent more time with James, rekindling our friendship and training in what they called "the Danger Room". Xavier and McCoy were doing what they could to find Roxie, apparently Victor was better at hiding than I remembered, and I had a lot of anxiety and rage to work out. Hence the training room. Xavier offered the Danger Room to me in exchange for teaching the students some defensive techniques. Rogue was a good fighter and a quick learner when she wasn't focused on her boyfriend.

"Rogue, can I talk to you?" I asked, trying to catch my breath after a run on the property. She was walking up to the mansion by herself and turned when I spoke to her.

"Sure. What's up?" Her Southern drawl was heavy but it was also adorable.

"Are you scared of your power?"

That took her aback but she nodded. Pulling my hair out of my ponytail, I said, "Take off your gloves."

"I-I don't want to hurt you." I could smell her fear.

"You won't." I replied then shrugged. "Even if you do, I'll heal. Close your eyes."

Rogue slipped off her gloves and closed her eyes. I gave her a few minutes before I placed one finger against her skin. She sucked in a deep breath and I could smell the change in her scent seconds before I felt something spark on my skin, like the life was being sucked out of me. I pulled my finger away and took a moment to catch my breath. Rogue was apologizing. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"It's all right." I smiled at her. "You're not afraid of your mutation."

Rogue started to stammer an answer but I cut her off. "I could smell the difference in your scent. It wasn't fear. You like your mutation but I have a feeling that you hate the fact that you like it."

She was quiet for a few minutes, looking at the ground, clearly embarrassed. "I don't want to hurt people."

"Then that's a choice that you have to make every single time." I told her. "My feral instincts, Logan's too, they need to be kept in check at every moment. Just like you, we could kill someone if we aren't careful."

"How do you keep from hurting people?"

"Practice. I'll help you."

"How?" Rogue asked again.

"We'll figure it out." I promised. James stood in the door of the mansion and called to us.

"You're gonna want to see this." He said grimly.

**A/N: I am so, so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I've been really sick and haven't been up to writing but I'm better now so I'll be updating frequently again. Leave a review on your way out, dearies! I love all of you!**


	19. Chapter 19

"_Authorities are asking the public to be on the lookout for Victor Creed, a dangerous mutant, who was last seen on the Eastern border with Dr. Jean Gray. Dr. Gray was reported dead last year. A young girl, pictured here, was also spotted with the couple. If you see this group, you are encouraged to not engage them and report to the nearest authorities." _

The news anchor flashed Roxie's picture and I hissed at the television angrily. Whatever Victor and this Jean Gray was up to, they were using my child for their plan. When I looked at James, his face held a combination of shock, disbelief, and a flash of hope. I ignored the flare of jealousy that burned in my chest and turned my attention back to my anger. "What are they doing on the Eastern seaboard?"

"From what I understand, they've visited an army base." Xavier said.

"Why?" I asked. "What's on the base that they would need my daughter for?"

"I think it has something to do with the virus that she had." McCoy offered. "I've run some tests on the samples I took from Roxanne. From what I've observed, the virus, when a human is exposed to it, can allow Roxie to control their mind. Anyone that she infects with the virus, she'll be able to hear in her head and give them orders. If she was still here with us and under your influence, I wouldn't worry too much about it but since she's with Victor-"

"Then she's probably using it to hurt people." I finished for him. "We need to get her back."

"How?" James finally spoke.

"If Xavier can't find her, I know someone who can." I said, turning on my heel and heading toward the front door, yanking my jacket off the coat rack. I heard footsteps behind me but didn't stop until Rogue called my name.

"Where are ya goin'?" She asked, coming to a halt beside me.

"To see my grandfather."

"Ca—can I come?" Her question surprised me. "I understand if you don't want me to, but...I'd like to."

I smiled at her and dug my keys out of my pocket. "Sure."

James had fixed my car several days prior and on the way, I let Rogue mess with the radio. I was lost in my own thoughts anyway. I hadn't spoken to my grandfather in too long and I was sure that my father had told him about me rejecting Victor, so I had no idea if he would even see me. I'd beg if I had to but there was no guarantee he would help. With any luck, I was still his diamond.

"Where's your grandfather live?" Rogue asked several hours into our trip.

"France but usually at this time of year, he visits my father and the rest of the pack." I replied.

"So, there's packs of ferals?"

"Yep. My family has one of the largest packs in the world, but there are smaller ones too."

"Then why aren't you with them? Wouldn't it be better to be with your family?"

I cleared my throat and kept my gaze firmly on the road in front of me. "It's a long story but the short version is I disappointed my family and in a pack, that's a kiss of death."

I turned onto the driveway to the pack mansion and soon enough, we were parked in front of the mansion that dwarfed Xavier's. Rogue's jaw dropped at the sight of the mansion and she unbuckled her seat belt then climbed out of the car, her door slamming closed almost in unison with mine. As we walked up to the front door, I said, "Don't stare at any of the men and don't go anywhere without me. Follow my lead and if, for whatever reason, you get a bad feeling, get out of here. Okay?" 

Rogue nodded hesitantly and followed me around the mansion to the gardens. If Grandfather was on the grounds, this is where he'd be. Rogue and I wandered around the manicured hedges, admiring the floral arrangements artistically mixed in with the hedges. Grandfather was pruning his rose bushes. There were several dozen types of flowers in the garden but the roses were Grandfather's. In the years since I had last seen him, his hair had started to gray around the edges. Wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes and the laugh lines that I remembered from so long ago had faded significantly. He glanced at us and stood, brushing dirt from the knees of his jeans. As I got closer to him, the ache of losing him from my life bubbled to the surface and, combined with the worry for Roxie's wellbeing, my eyes started to water. Suddenly, all the mistakes I had made concerning Victor, James, Roxie, and my pack were overwhelming. I paused a foot away from him and he smiled kindly at me. "My sweet Charlotte."

"I messed up, Grandpere." I admitted, swallowing hard as I tried to keep myself from crying. "I need your help and I know I've abandoned the pack-"

"You will always be part of the pack," Grandfather used the pad of his thumb to brush away a tear that had spilled down my cheek. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, letting me bury my face in his chest. He smelled like tobacco, dirt, and roses. I missed that smell. After several long minutes, he moved away from me and addressed Rogue. "Who is this enchanting young lady?"

"I'm Rogue." She introduced herself, extending a gloved hand to him. He shook her hand with a warm smile and escorted us through the gardens to his den. "This is a lovely home, sir."

"Please, call me Pierre." Grandfather gestured to chairs opposite his favorite armchair. "Now, tell me what this trouble is and we'll figure a way out of it."

He listened to me talk without interrupting and when I finally finished he sat quietly and thought for a moment. "I'll have Francois send out scouts immediately and we will find your daughter and mate. What about this Dr. Gray?"

"You can't hurt Dr. Gray." Rogue spoke up. "She's not a bad person and I don't think she's doing anything wrong. Maybe Sabretooth is keeping her hostage too?"

"We shall not harm any of the trio, dear." Grandfather patted her hand gently.

"Will Father help? I did reject Victor and he didn't handle it well."

"He didn't approve of Mr. Creed, this is true, but he will help. Rejection is a decision that shouldn't be made lightly but it is your choice." Grandfather said. "I know that I encouraged you to accept your mate and then when I realized what a danger Creed is I asked you to leave him. It wasn't my place to do either. Victor is your mate and he cannot hurt you or his cub so this makes me think that he isn't entirely in control of his actions. He may be a mere pawn in this."

"Then who's calling the moves?" I asked.

"That's what we will find out. In the meantime, we shall get you two something to eat." He sent for food. "Charlotte, show your guest around the grounds if you'd like to. You are always welcome here."

"Father might feel differently."

"Too bad this isn't his property." Grandfather chuckled. "He may be the Alpha but I make all of the decisions."

I kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

**A/N: Thanks to my readers/followers/favoriters/reviewers. I love you guys! What do you guys think of a Rogue/Christien pairing? It's something I've been toying with so I just want your opinions. **


	20. Chapter 20

"Absolutely not!" Francois shouted, slamming his fist against his desk. Pierre filled his pipe with tobacco and packed it carefully, lighting it with a match. He was clearly unimpressed with his son's tantrum. "I will not help her because she is not part of this pack! Charlotte has made her choice and now refuses to live with the consequences."

"Francois." Pierre growled. He raised his voice to a threatening growl as he stood from the armchair in his study. "Charlotte is and always will be part of this pack. Her child—your grandchild—is in danger from her mate." He took two steps toward his son, holding his gaze carefully. "You will send our scouts to find Roxanne or I will remove you from the position of Alpha of this pack."

Francois paled and swallowed hard. "You cannot do that. This is my right and I've earned it."

"Then you best send our scouts." Pierre took a puff of his pipe as he exited the study, chuckling to himself when he closed the door behind him. He was eager to meet his great granddaughter and he could only do so if she was alive. Whether Victor was a willing participant or not, he didn't trust the man any farther than he could spit. With the help of their scouts, Roxanne would be in her mother's arms soon. Hopefully.

-0-

Phoenix picked up a bullet from the box sitting in front of her, a smile on her lips. Thanks to one of the military scientists Roxie had infected, she could now kill Charlie with little fuss. She called Victor into her room and handed him the box, keeping the individual bullet in her hand.

"What the hell are these?" Victor asked, examining the bullets.

"These are the answer to our problem." Phoenix replied. When Victor clearly didn't understand, she clarified. "This little beauty will cause cancerous tumors to expand in Charlie's brain. Much faster than her healing factor will allow. She'll be dead before her body has a chance to heal itself. All you have to do is shoot her in the head."

Victor growled noncommitally and took the box then left the room. He tossed the box into his room then escaped to the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. He looked nothing like the man Charlie had accepted as her mate so long ago and now he was putting her in danger. Deciding that change begets change, Victor found a pair of automatic shears and turned it on. He pulled his hair free of the ponytail it was kept in and ran the shears through his hair, effectively buzzing it and leaving a quarter inch of dark hair on his head. Next he had to fix his eyebrows. At some point in the last several years they had grown practically into his hair. Half an hour later, he looked like his old self.

A knock on the door didn't surprise him. He heard Phoenix approach a second ago. "Victor, I'm going out. Keep an eye on Roxie until I get back."

"Sure." Victor didn't speak much to Phoenix. At least not more than necessary. He opened the door and she looked surprised at his new appearance. "Might take the kid to the park for a little bit. She likes running around."

"Keep her happy." Phoenix said. "If she's happy, then there's less chance for a mistake."

"Yep." Victor wiped shaving cream off his hands and tossed the towel in the sink. Phoenix gave Roxie a kiss on the top of her head before leaving and Victor joined his daughter in the living room where she was coloring quietly.

"Hi, daddy." She smiled up at him when she finally noticed him. "I like your haircut."

"Thanks." Victor sat on the couch behind her and looked at the picture she was drawing. "What are you drawin'?"

Roxie put down her crayon and picked up the paper before climbing into Victor's lap. "It's you, me, and Mommy."

Sure enough, she had drawn three figures. A smaller one between two tall ones, holding hands with both of them. Roxie was in no way a modern Van Gogh but it was clear by the skirt she had drawn on Charlie and the long blonde hair on Victor that she thought they were her family. Victor pressed a kiss to her temple and put her down. "I gotta make a call then we're going to go to the park, okay?"

"Can we get ice cream too?" Roxie asked.

"Sure, kid."

Victor went to his room and closed the door. He didn't like asking for help. Victor Creed didn't ask for help but this wasn't for him. Roxie deserved to be with her mom and he wasn't going to let Phoenix ruin his daughter. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number of a man who would be less than happy to hear from him but could get Roxie home. It rang twice before a French accented voice said, "Hello?"

"Pierre, it's Creed." Victor sighed.

"I understand you have my great granddaughter and calling me would be suicide. So, what can I do for you, Mr. Creed?" Pierre asked carefully.

"I'll give you the kid but you have to come get her. You've got two hours before the window is closed."

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Just get here before time's up." Victor gave him the address of the park and hung up, going out to rejoin Roxie. "Somebody's going to come get you soon. He's gonna take you back to your Mom. Okay?"

"What about you, Daddy?" Roxie asked.

"I'm gonna have to stay here." Victor smoothed her ponytails.

"I don't want to go without you!" She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. "Please stay with us!"

"It's complicated," Victor patted her back awkwardly. "I can't go."

"But I love you, Daddy." Roxie looked up at him and he tried to stay strong against her tears and quivering chin but damn if his daughter didn't have him wrapped around her finger. "I want us to be a family."

She cried for a few more minutes before Victor finally said, "Don't cry, kid. I'll go with you."

**A/N: Short chapter I know. I'm sorry. This weekend was kind of hectic and the last few days have been quiet and not very writing friendly. Anyway, leave a review on your way out and tell me what you think! While views/follows/favorites are absolutely fantastic and I love them, reviews are the only way to tell me what you think of the story. I don't bruise easily either. Any thoughts on the Rogue/Christien pairing? **


	21. Chapter 21

Christien barely glanced up from his book when he heard a Southern accented voice shyly say, "Hi."

"Hello." His answer was polite if a bit clipped. He had never been one for socializing with the females, much to his parent's dismay. Christien wanted to be able to speak to them but they were less than interested in his studies and he found it hard to maintain interest in them.

"I'm Rogue." She smiled at him, approaching the table slowly and smoothing a palm over the wooden top as she walked.

"Christien. It's a pleasure to meet you." Christien noticed the way she blushed lightly when he spoke and discreetly watched her as she walked around the laboratory, examining all the vials and beakers on the tables, careful not to touch anything. While she was looking at the equipment on the table, he studied her features. Her complexion reminded him of cream with two deep brown eyes that seemed to look into his very core when she glanced at him. Dark brown hair with odd white bangs framed her perfect features, the perfect cheekbones and full rose red lips. When her tongue darted out to lick her lips and he thought of what it would feel like to have to tongue against his, he cleared his throat and said, "Can I help you with something?"

"No. Charlie's meetin' with her grandfather and I-" Her voice trailed off awkardly. She was clearly under the impression she had upset him. "I can go, if ya'd like."

For some reason he found himself shaking his head, "No. You can stay. I won't be very good company, I'm afraid."

"What are you reading?" Rogue asked curiously, walking around the table to stand beside him to see what what the book was. At the last moment, she pulled back, realizing that her action may be over stepping her boundries a little. Christien smiled a small smile and pushed the book toward her slightly, allowing her a better view of the book. She brushed her hair behind her ear and skimmed the words. It was a text covering the functions of the heart. Or rather the functions of the heart of a mutant. Apparently there was a difference. "This looks...complicated."

Christien chuckled and a hint of roses tickled his nose. "It is. I've been studying for several years and have yet to completely get the knack of it. On the simulations I've practiced on, I've lost most of the 'patients'."

"When will you be working on real patients?" Rogue asked.

"Soon. With our healing abilities, it's hard to find a feral who has heart issues. Mostly it's just practicing in the skills lab." Christien replied. The smell of roses coming from her neck practically had him purring. He bit his tongue as he mentally chastised himself. He was not a pup anymore and there was no need to be drooling over his sister's friend. He stood up and decided to change the subject and get out of close quarters. "Would you like to get something to eat? Chef makes a fantastic cheesecake."

"Sure. I like cheesecake."

The walk to the kitchen was quiet but it was a comfortable silence. Once they arrived, the chef bowed to Christien and pressed a kiss to the back of Rogue's gloved hand. Christien raised an eyebrow at the gloves and made a mental note to ask about that later. Chef placed a plate of cheesecake in front of each of them and bowed once more before leaving the two of them alone.

"Why do you wear the gloves?" Christien asked. By the way Rogue stiffened, he had asked a sensitive question.

"It's my mutation." She licked the tongs of her fork before speaking again. "If somebody touches my skin, it drains them and if it's a mutant, I absorb their powers temporarily."

"If it's a human?" Christien said softly.

Rogue swallowed hard and said, "Charlie's helping me control it, though. I'm getting better at it."

"Lottie's always been a good teacher." He smiled. "How has she been doing?"

"You're her brother. Don't you ever call her?"

"It's...complicated, Rogue." Noting that her plate was clean, he said, "You should go back to your room and get some rest. Charlotte will be waiting for you."

There was a flash of disappointment in her eyes but she just nodded and excused herself from the kitchen. Christien scrubbed his eyes with his palms and sighed. That was a prime example as to why he doesn't interact with women. Heading back to his lab, his sanctuary, he caught the distinct smell of roses mixed with a hint of disappointment. Rogue had been the first woman he connected with and he had destroyed their first meeting. One thing he knew for sure was that this girl with the special skin had soothed the feral and that had never happened before.

**A/N: I know this chapter is short but I wanted the reunion of mother and daughter to be its own chapter. Thanks to Brigid for leaving a review. Thanks to everyone who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this story. Please leave a review on your way out. :) **


	22. Chapter 22

"Charlotte, I understand your anxiety but please stop pacing." Grandfather lit his pipe and took a puff while I walked back and forth in his study. "Roxanne will be here soon."

"I still don't understand why I couldn't go get her. I can handle Victor on my own." I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

"We don't know if Victor is a pawn or the gamemaster. Our scouts are trained to handle any threats. If I may be honest, I am not confident in your ability to think clearly if Roxanne was harmed."

I narrowed my eyes at him and resumed pacing. Grandfather arranged for Victor to be brought to us first and Roxie to be sent to Christien for examination, make sure she was all right before I got to see her. Now all I had to do was not eviscerate Victor as soon as I saw him. That was mostly why Grandfather was babysitting me. I smelled my backstabbing, kidnapping, son of a bitch mate long before I saw him and a growl rumbled deep in my chest. When Victor was escorted into the study, I launched myself at him and the only thing that kept me from knocking him to the ground was Grandfather's arms around my waist. Snarling and hissing were halted by Victor who—to my complete and utter shock—started whimpering.

"Hear what he has to say," Grandfather advised gently. "If his answers are not sincere, then you may have at him."

"Fine." I snapped, smoothing my shirt when Grandfather let me go. Glaring at Victor, I said, "Talk."

"We'll give you some privacy." Grandfather gestured for the beta to follow him, closing the door behind them.

"You better have a damn good reason for betraying your family." I glared at him. "For betraying me."

Victor sighed and stepped closer to me, stopping when I hissed at him. "I know you're pissed and I get it. But I was contracted for this job-"

"What was your payment going to be?" I sneered. "A couple hundred whores? Enough Glenn McKenna to pickle your liver? A free pass to kill whoever you wanted?"

"You." Victor's answer cut me off. "And Roxie. I do what they want and I get my mate and cub back."

I stared at him in disbelief and he continued. "My employer gave me bullets that would kill you. She gave me all of them."

"How sweet."

"Listen to me, Charlie." Victor growled. "I can't kill you. I _won't_ kill you. A regular bullet would be a pain to remove but you'd be okay."

"I'm touched. Really I am." I said sarcastically. But his scent was truthful and I couldn't catch any hint of a lie in his eyes. "But you don't get to take my daughter-"

"She's mine too!" Victor shouted. "She is my cub, too. And you're my mate. I ain't sayin' that I'm the best feral—hell, I'm not even close to being the best man in the world but I would never put you in danger. Not intentionally and that goes for Roxie too."

"What about lying to me for all those years? With controlling who I am and taking away a choice that belonged to me and me alone?" I countered.

"I didn't like that anymore than you did." Victor dragged his hand over his short hair, then slapped his palm against his thigh. "Do you really think that I liked having you leave? That I wanted you to think I was dead, kitten?"

"Then why did you?"

"Because I didn't have any damn choice! Stryker threatened you, said you were too dangerous for what we were gonna be doin' and that you were a liability. I was the only one who kept Lynx at bay, kept her under control when she got out."

"What about James?"

Victor scoffed. "Jimmy? He wanted you two to play house and be humans. He wanted to completely forget that he's an animal and wanted you to do the same. I never wanted you to be anything except who you are! You hurt your granddad after you thought I was dead and then your family decided to drug you. They wrote me and told me but I absolutely refused and said that you're my mate, I'd protect you. Couldn't do that if I was dead, though and it was _your _dad who made that choice for you."

I had a lump in my throat and avoided looking at him in an effort to keep myself from crying. Victor's words, if his scent was to be believed, were honest. I just wanted to clear up one thing. "How did Stryker saying I was dangerous keep you in line?"

"He said he was going to kill you." Victor had closed the space between us and he inhaled my scent deeply. A soft chuckle was followed by a groan when I put my hand against his chest gently, baring my neck in submission to my mate. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and nipped at the skin, his lips brushing my skin when he spoke. "Damn near killed him when he said that."

I felt him kiss my neck more gently than I expected from Victor Creed, one of his hands slipping around my waist and pulling me closer to him. I almost gave in to him but- "I want to see Roxie."

He knew that he'd get nowhere with me until I saw her and knew she was safe so he moved away from me and led me to where Roxie was. I heard her laughter and stood in the doorway of Christien's lab, just looking at her. Then she saw me. "Mommy!"

She jumped off the table and ran toward me on all fours, knocking me to the ground when she barreled into me. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed as tightly as I dared, crying happy tears into her hair. She looked up at me and said, "Don't cry, Mommy. I'm safe."

"I know, baby. I missed you." I smoothed a stray curl into place and kissed her forehead.

"Daddy took me to the park and we got ice cream but I'm hungry now." Roxie said.

"Let's go get a snack, then." I stood and held her hand as we started down the corridor. Roxie paused and turned to look at Victor. "Come on, Daddy."

-0-

I didn't want to let Roxie out of my sight but after dinner, bath, and story time, it was time for Roxie to go to sleep. Grandfather had set up a room for her and I sat with her long after she was snoring softly, just watching her sleep. Grandfather was sitting with me, having been engrossed in his great granddaughter and all of her imaginings. It was pretty clear to see that he had a new jewel of his eye. "Charlotte, you should go to Victor."

"No." I shook my head and kept my voice at a whisper. "I want to sit with her a bit longer."

"She'll be here when you wake up." He smiled at me and put his hand over mine. "Victor was doing what he could to get his family back. Go to him, dearest. Take him as your mate again and be happy."

"I thought you were done trying to push me towards men?" I questioned.

"Men, yes. Your mate who has done the best he knew how to get you back..." His voice trailed off. "He loves you."

"I know."

"I'll sit with her. Nothing will happen to her." He promised.

I kissed her forehead softly and kissed Grandfather's cheek before exiting her room. On the way to my room, I passed Christien's lab and saw Rogue with him. Following Victor's scent, I found him near the lake. He glanced at me as I stood next to him, staring out over the glasslike surface of the water. "I'm still angry that you took her. And I'm still mad that you lied to me."

Victor nodded but didn't say anything.

"I won't deny that seeing James has brought back some feelings but I've missed you. You are Roxie's father and I don't know if you deserve to see her but I'll give you the chance."

Gently (uncharacteristically so for Victor), he entwined their fingers together and they were silent as they listened to the sounds of the night. For tonight, this was enough.

**A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter took longer than I wanted. I have no excuse. So, as far as Charlie's romantic partner who do you guys want? Victor or James? Let me know and leave a review! **

**Sam: I'm glad you're back, dearie. Rogue/Christien will be tricky to play out because they won't be at the estate much longer but hopefully it is satisfactory. **

**Brigid: awkward tension is the best. :) **


	23. Chapter 23

Roxie adored Grandfather just as much as he adored her. We stayed at the estate for another week, trying to find the woman who took my daughter. Victor told me as much as he could (or wanted to tell me) but while I could trust him, I couldn't trust him completely. Phoenix's alter ego was Jean Gray, the woman that James was in love with. So far, all I knew was that he infected Roxie with the virus that Phoenix had used to infect soldiers. Why she wanted to infect the soldiers Victor didn't know—or wouldn't tell me. Roxie told me that she could hear her 'friends' and wanted to know if she could talk to them.

"No, sweetheart." I smoothed her hair away from her face and smiled at her, concealing my concern for what that bitch did to my daughter. "You can go play in the gardens with Papa, if you'd like."

She grinned widely and jumped up from her coloring to run to find Grandfather. Lynx was snarling at me to find and kill the woman who harmed our baby and manipulated our mate. I took a deep breath and sat cross legged on the floor, trying to meditate and let Lynx take over. She was better at finding lies and following trails than I was. But if I lost control of her for one second, it could be fatal for anyone around. On the other hand, I needed backup and short of my family (who would be taking care of Roxie) there was only one other person I trusted right now: Rogue. If it came down to taking Lynx out, she could use her skin and at the very least, disable me until she could get away. Christien had taken a shine to Rogue, however, and I had a feeling that he would be less than enthused about her going with me. I was proved right when he barged in as I was trying to focus on controlling Lynx.

"You cannot take her with you." Christien snapped at me, the first and only time he's ever done so.

"I need backup and I cannot trust Victor."

"Take me with you but leave Rogue here."

I shook my head. "I would, brother, but you are not a fighter."

"I won't let you put her in harm's way." Christien raked a hand through his hair and took several deep breaths.

I didn't understand how I had missed it. I knew that they had been spending time together and Rogue was smitten but Christien's distress alerted Lynx and myself to the fact that he wanted to claim her. He wanted to mate her but didn't know how to vocalize it in a way without scaring Rogue away. I took his shoulders in my hands and made him look me in the eye. "You can come with us, but you must stay out of our way. I will allow you to protect Rogue but she is my friend. I will not let any harm come to her. Even if that harm were to come from you breaking her heart."

Christien nodded in understanding and went with me to retrieve Rogue. She smiled at me but her face lit up when she saw Christien. "Are you comin' with us?"

"Oui." Christien said then transitioned to English quickly and awkwardly. "Charlotte has agreed to let me protect you."

Rogue smiled wider and took Christien's hand, squeezing it gently then releasing it. I gave them a few minutes to get their things then went to say goodbye to Roxie. She was chasing a butterfly while Grandfather watched, chuckling as the butterfly eluded her each time she got close. "Ah, Charlotte, have you come to assist with the butterfly chase?"

"I can't." I smiled at my daughter as she ran. "I came to say goodbye then I'm afraid I have to leave. You will keep an eye on Victor, won't you?"

"Of course, my dear." Grandfather called Roxie to us and she bolted over, nearly knocking me down as she launched herself into my arms.

"Help me catch the butterfly, Mommy." Roxie's cheeks were flushed and she was panting.

"I will when I come back, dear heart." I kissed her forehead. "I've got to go have a talk with Nixie but when I come back, we'll chase as many butterflies as we can."

"Are you going to come back?" Roxie asked meekly.

"Of course I will." I assured her, smoothing an unruly curled lock behind her ear. "I'll always come back home to you."

"What if you don't? What if something happens to you?"

"Are you afraid of Nixie?" I asked, searching her eyes for the truth. With Lynx, it was easy. Roxie was scared but not of Nixie.

"I'm scared for you, Mommy. Nixie will be angry if you try to hurt her."

I put her down so I could unknot the leather bracelet on my left wrist and fastened it securely around Roxie's wrist. "Keep this safe for me and when I come home, I'll take it back."

"Promise?" Roxie asked.

"I promise."

-0-

The car ride was quiet but not uncomfortably so. Rogue sat in the passenger seat and Christien was driving, which put me in the back seat. Lynx hated to sit in the back, to not be in control, but I quieted her and Christien drove us to the address where Victor reported they had been staying. The apartment building had the general apartment noise but I sent Christien to search the grounds to make sure this wasn't a trap. He glared but he went and Rogue and I went upstairs. She pulled off her gloves and stuffed them in the pocket of her jacket, which she also took off and tied around her waist. She was protected.

The door to the apartment was unlocked and we entered the apartment. It smelled like fresh air and flowers. Clearly Jean Grey didn't like a messy house. The residence was spotless and I followed Roxie's lingering scent in the apartment, leading me to the room that she had occupied. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and as I entered Roxie's room, it hit me why. Jean Grey was perched on the double bed, a gun in her hand and pointed at me. "Hello, Charlie."

"Grey." I snarled.

"Charlie, I don't think anybody's here." Rogue's voice stopped next to me as she saw the gun pointed at me. "Dr. Grey, what are you doin'?"

"Rogue, how lovely to see you again." Phoenix took in her uncovered skin. "Learned to control your powers?"

Rogue just nodded while I glared at the woman.

"Wonderful." Phoenix smiled at her then said, with a sickeningly sweet tone, "Why don't you run along before I shoot you in the head as well?"

"Don't you dare harm her." I growled.

"Then she can leave."

"Go on, Rogue." I said sharply.

"I can't leave you here—"

"Marie!" I hissed, glancing at her quickly then back to Phoenix. "Get your ass downstairs now."

She paled at the sudden dangerous gleam in my eye and was shaking slightly as she turned away. Phoenix waited a few seconds after the door closed to speak again. "My plan was going to so well until your man backed out. He's next on my list but I've got to deal with you first."

"Stay away from my family." It was a threat and not a warning.

Phoenix smirked and stood, the gun still aimed at me and suddenly, I couldn't move. Lynx howled internally, clawing to get free of the invisible bonds that was holding us. The gun was pressed against my chest, nestled against the skin and bone that guarded my heart. Her voice was cold as she continued. "Roxie will never come with me as long as her mother is alive. Victor can be persuaded as long as there is money and whores involved but you." She chuckled. "You have to be the righteous bitch who ruined everything."

"You can shove it up your ass." I replied, unafraid.

"Your bravado can only last so long." Phoenix said. "Do you know what's in this gun?"

"A bullet?" My reply was sarcastic.

"Surely Victor explained them to you. They will kill you."

"He said he had them all."

"All except one." Phoenix moved her finger on the trigger. "And this one has your name on it."

The gunshot was deafening and then I dropped. Phoenix kicked my body as she walked out. I could feel the tumors growing, cutting off the blood supply to my heart. Pressing, squeezing, waiting for it to give out and stop.

Then it did.

-0-

Christien had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he waited for Charlie and Rogue to reappear. A gunshot and then hearing Rogue's scream sent him running faster than a human could've to the apartment. The metallic scent of blood invaded his nose as he entered and the sound of crying and stammering preceded the scene that horrified and infuriated him. Rogue had Charlie's upper torso in her lap, her arms wrapped around Charlie's shoulders, rocking the dead woman gently.

_Wait a minute. She can't be dead._

Rogue was trembling as she rocked Charlie's body, sobbing as she looked at Christien. "I just found her. She won't—she won't wake up."

Christien nuzzled Rogue's neck, a sound that resembled purring resonating in his chest. Rogue found that it soothed her and she was able to calm down a little. Christien gently took his sister's body from her. "Go in the other room, sweetheart. You don't need to see this."

Rogue shook her head haltingly and shaking. "I don't wanna leave her."

He found a sheet and gently wrapped his sister in it, then carried her downstairs and laid her in the backseat of the car. Christien went back to retrieve Rogue, his arm around her waist and holding her close. Even after they were on their way back to the estate, Christien didn't stop touching Rogue's skin, settling for her hand. The drive was too short and too soon they were in front of the pack manor.

"Rogue, could you retrieve my Alpha and his mate, along with Grandfather?" Christien kept his voice steady but Rogue heard the minute crack as he spoke. He cleared the lump in his throat and blinked back tears. "Keep Roxie in the garden or in the ballroom but do not let her see-"

"I won't." Rogue promised then exited the car to do as Christien asked.

Christien felt his heart breaking as he lifted his baby sister from the car, cradling her in his arms as he carried her inside to his lab. He placed her on the empty gurney, unwrapped her, and wiped as much blood as he could from her body. Draping the sheet over the bullet wound, she looked as though she was merely asleep.

"Mon Dieu," Pierre gasped as he entered the lab, followed closely by Adelaide and Francois. "My dear Charlotte."

"What happened, Dr. Dubois?" Francois was all business and one wouldn't know that it was his daughter laid out with a bullet in her heart.

"I do not know. I was checking the perimeter. I can safely assume that it was Phoenix that killed her." Christien replied.

"My dearest diamond," Pierre smoothed Charlotte's hair and a tear fell onto her cold cheek. He wiped his tear away from her skin and, for the first time in the memory of the pack, Pierre Dubois sobbed. Francois and Christien finished their clipped conversation and then the Alpha and his mate left the lab. Rogue was waiting in the doorway and timidly, waiting for permission to enter.

"You may enter, Rogue." Pierre's voice was soft.

"I don't want to interude." Rogue's Southern drawl was a comfort to the two ferals.

"You are not intruding. I believe Christien is thankful for your presence and you were a kind friend to my Lottie."

They were quiet for a few more minutes before Rogue spoke. "How can a man not care about his daughter? His heart must be made of ice."

"Francois was not her father," Pierre said through his tears. "I am."

**A/N: I apologize for my absence but my computer went the way of dear old Charlotte and I had to get access to one. Leave a review, please? I love them and they do let me know what you think. **


	24. Chapter 24

"Charlie said you were her grandfather." Rogue said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Pierre sighed heavily as he placed his palm over Charlie's cold hand. "It is a long story."

"We need an explanation." Christien said, moving closer to Rogue and brushing his shoulder against hers.

"We should move to the study and allow us to have some privacy. I'm sure Master Creed would like some privacy when he finds out about Charlotte." He choked on the last word and the others froze. They had forgotten about Victor and nobody wanted to be around when he was brought to her body. There were enough chairs for Rogue, Christien, and Pierre to sit. Pierre lit his pipe and took several puffs before speaking. "When I was a young man, I fell very deeply in love with a woman. As soon as I saw her, I knew we were destined for greatness."

"What was her name?"

Pierre's lips twitched upward in a ghost of a smile. "Juliet. My sweet Juliet. She lived in Italy and I was visiting when my parents and I were invited to a ball. She looked like an angel, clothed in a silver gown and her hair down around her shoulders. Juliet had hair the color of chestnuts and eyes that could see right to my core. We were married in secret and on our wedding night, we gave ourselves completely to each other." He puffed his pipe and sighed, lost in memories.

"What happened to Juliet?" Christien prompted.

"I found my mate and was forced to leave my dearest. I'm afraid that is a trait that Charlotte and I share. We follow our hearts regardless of what our instincts say." Pierre wiped a stray tear from his eye. "Juliet found me some years later and told me that she had borne a child. I fell in love with my daughter instantly and saw her in secret, giving her gifts and spoiling her. She was only three when her mother died and I took her in. Francois, being my brother and my very close friend, knew of Juliet and Charlotte and offered to claim Charlotte as his own. My mate was very jealous and would have rejected the poor girl out of spite. I found out later that Julienne had murdered Juliet. She had a knack for potions as her father had been an apothecary. Julienne was killed by her own hand."

"Lottie never knew?" Christien asked.

"I'm afraid not. And now she'll never know."

They were silenced as an enraged and mournful howl echoed in the corridors.

-0-

"What's up, Frankie?" Victor chortled as he raised the decanter of scotch to his lips, taking a long gulp. His fangs gleamed in the light. "Don't tell me that you've missed me already."

"It's Charlotte." Francois said with a clear tone. "She's in the infirmary and I believe you would like to see her."

"If she wants to see me so bad, she can come to me. Her legs ain't broken." Victor took another gulp of liquor.

"She's dead, Master Creed." Francois interrupted Victor's rambling. Victor stopped chuckling and lowered the decanter.

"What?" Victor said.

"Charlotte is dead and her body is in the infirmary." Francois repeated. "If you'd like to see her before-"

Victor had Francois by the throat before the sentence ended. "You best be lyin', Frankie."

"Let me go, Master Creed." Francois was struggling to breath but trying not to show it. He was thrown to the ground as Victor stalked to the infirmary. Death was thick in the air and when Victor saw his mate, his kitten, the hellfire he called his mate laying on the gurney, he let out a howl.

**A/N: Next chapter will be all from Victor's view point and dealing with his grief. I know this chapter is short but I wanted to make his grieving all one chapter. A huge thanks to my reviewers and my followers and favoriters. I love all of you and I'm not just saying that 'cause I'm a wee bit tipsy at the moment. :) **


	25. Chapter 25

Nobody had stopped Victor nor had they protested when he carried Charlie out of the mansion and put her into a car from the garage, laying her out carefully on the backseat. He drove to a plot of land he hadn't been to since the sixties: the commune where he left Charlie to go fight in the war. The buildings were dilapidated, the weeds had long since overtaken the grass, and the old house where they had lived smelled very strongly of dirt, urine, and animal feces. Victor cleaned out most of the house and put Charlie in the bedroom, the bed still unmade and the comforter had been theirs. A small cloud of dust was expelled from the mattress as he laid her down. As luck would have it, the car he stole had groceries in it. The pack must have gone shopping just before he took the car. He rummaged through the bags and smirked when he found a bag full of liquor. He snatched it up and took it into the house, closing the door. He pulled a bottle from the bag, not bothering to see what it was, uncapped it and took a drink, standing in the doorway of their bedroom and looked at his dead mate.

The longer Victor watched her, waiting for some sign that she was just fucking with him and would wake up, the angrier he got. The bottle was half empty when Victor let out a roar, threw the bottle against the dust covered dresser and slammed his boot into it. Kicking it until it was nothing except splinters, Victor was panting for breath and still furious when his eyes landed on a suitcase. It was one of Charlie's old ones, a hideously ugly yellow color that she had loved. The latches were constantly coming undone and after a particularly nasty confrontation at an airport, Victor vetoed her use of the damn thing. He kicked it for good measure, knocking it into the far wall and it popped open when it landed.

"Don't know why she kept this piece of shit." Victor grumbled, moving to pick it up. Charlie had always been weirdly protective of her suitcase. He squat down to collect some papers that had fallen out when he kicked it. He flipped the suitcase open all the way and tossed the papers in when a book caught his eye. He picked it up because why the hell not and read the title before scoffing in disbelief. "She kept it."

The book, _Alice's Adventures Underground_, had been a gift from Victor to Charlie after she had fallen in love with the story. The book piqued his curiosity about the rest of the contents of the suitcase and he started to rummage through it. He found a bottle of perfume that was still mostly full. Victor unstopped it and took a sniff, the scent of cinnamon and roses filling his nose. Yet another gift from Victor, or rather something Charlie saw and wanted and Victor didn't tell her no. He put the bottle down and picked up one of the stray pieces of paper.

_Kitten,_

_Club's opening tonight and you need to be ready to go at five. Car's gonna pick you up. Be ready to go and don't make me wait. _

There was a kiss print made with red lipstick on the bottom of the note, something Charlie must've done when she read the damn thing. Every single note he had left for her, whether it was instructions to get ready to leave or to tell her that he had gone, she had kept and pressed a kiss on the bottom of it.

_Kitten, _

_Out late. Don't wait up._

_Kitten, _

_Can't make it back tonight. Sorry. _

He remembered that letter. That had been her birthday and he had sent a silver locket to her to make up for his not being there. Victor couldn't remember the job he was on but it must have been important to have missed Charlie's birthday. He found a book with a worn leather cover and opened it, the spine creaking as he did so. There was a rose pressed inside the front cover and Victor sat down on the floor, his back to the wall and read what he realized to be Charlie's journal.

_July 1850_

_Victor took me to Spain and bought me a beautiful dress. This last job must have gone well because now he is feeling extremely generous. Not that he's ever stingy with his money (as long as it's spent on me) but this is more than usual. I love this man more than I thought I would. I've missed him while he was gone but hopefully we have time before his next job. _

_August 1850 _

_I miss my family. I'm glad to be here in Italy but I do miss Grandfather. A strange woman came to our villa today, peddling different cures for different ailments and several perfumes. I bought a lot of them, much to Victor's irritation, and got her name: Julienne. Her skill is unbelievable and I plan on buying from her again. _

Victor didn't want to read anymore and put the journal aside, sorting through the various trinkets he had given to her throughout the years. This was too much for him. He was supposed to protect her and because she rejected him, he wanted revenge and he wanted his cub. Now his mate was dead and all he had left of her was his daughter and a box full of memories that he didn't want to think about anymore. Victor got up and retrieved yet another bottle of liquor and spent the night watching his mate and drinking. He fell asleep without realizing it and jerked himself awake, the new morning light shining through the broken pieces of the boarded up windows. His instincts told him something was wrong, that something was watching him and his eyes scanned the room, glancing at Charlie's body then going to investigate the rest of the house. It proved empty and he raised the bottle back to his lips.

A sharp blow to the back of his head made his vision fuzzy and he shook his head to clear it, snarling as he got up. Another quick blow knocked him back down and he lost conciousness.

-0-

When he came to, Victor was in a cage with electrified bars. His head was pounding and he sat up, trying to clear the fog from his brain and assess the situation. There were at least a dozen men in white coats scurrying about and he could smell blood. Then his eyes landed on Charlie's body on a gurney, her chest and stomach sliced open, and two white coated men were wrist deep in her stomach. An inhuman sound ripped from Victor's lips as he launched himself at the bars of his cage, disregarding the electricity coursing through his veins when he touched them.

A woman clicked her tongue at him as she approached. "Now, now, Mr. Creed. There's no need for this."

"What the hell do you think you're doin' to her?!" Victor's voice was gutteral and would have scared a normal human to death.

"The same thing I have done to her mother. I've killed her." The woman replied. "Let me introduce myself. I am Julienne Dubois."

"I don't give a rat's ass who you are 'cause when I get out of here, you're dead."

"Come now, Mr. Creed." Julienne cooed. "There is a reason you were employed. You are strong, ruthless, and willing to do whatever is necessary to get your money—or your claws dipped in blood. Why should she matter so much? You could find another woman."

Victor just glared at her.

"It was...unfortunate that you took Roxanne-"

"Don't say her name." Victor interrupted.

"-back to her mother." Julienne continued as though he didn't speak. "But we must adjust as needed, oui?"

"Go to hell."

"Wouldn't you like to know about your part in this?" Julienne asked. When she was met with silence, she said, "We're building an army, you see. Made up of humans and mutants alike. But we need sweet Roxie to control the soldiers and we need you to control Roxie."

"Stay the fuck away from her." Victor warned.

"You have a choice." Julienne said. "You can help our cause and bring your daughter here and help us control her or I will kill her while you watch."

**A/N: Welp, there's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. If any of you guys enjoy Agents of Shield/Avengers crossovers, feel free to read my Phil/OC fic. As far as this story goes, I do hope you're enjoying it and I thank all of you who have reviewed. All questions will be answered, I promise. Reviews are food for my muse so feel free to leave one. :) **


	26. Chapter 26

Julienne had some goons watching Victor's cage, allowing them some liberties as far as pacification went. Most of them weren't overly intelligent and their abuse was mundane at best. Cattleprods were their weapon of choice and they had to get fairly close to use it. Victor smirked and yanked the cattleprod through the bars of his cage, smashing the thug's face against the electrified bars. When he managed to stop drooling on himself, the thug stood and snapped, "Do it again, Creed, and your ass is mine."

"Wrong." A snarling feminine voice told the thug from behind. He spun around to see Charlie, fangs bared and claws extended. She shoved her hand into his stomach and ripped his intenstines out, dropping them on the floor. The thug joined his organs a second later. "He's mine."

"Took you long enough." Victor brushed dirt off his coat while Charlie turned off the electric current to his cage and unlocked it. Charlie rejoined him, wiping the blood off her hands on the hospital gown that was draped around her frame. Victor took notice of her lack of substantial clothing when Charlie pushed him against the bars of the cage and smashed her lips against his. Any other circumstances, he would have taken advantage of the flimsy gown but right now he had a cub to protect. "Kitten, now ain't the time."

"It's the best time." Charlie panted, biting Victor's neck roughly. She pouted and looked offended when Victor pushed her away by her shoulders. "You would reject me?"

"I've stuck with ya this long, and I ain't rejected you yet. That crazy bitch is goin' after Roxie." Victor saw the lust for him replaced with fury and a murderous gleam. "Find some real clothes and let's go."

Charlie found a pair of scrubs and pulled them on, opting to go barefoot over wearing oversized boots. Finding a car to steal wasn't hard and soon enough they were on their way to Roxie. Victor sped haphazardly over the terrain while Charlie went over the last few days in her mind. Julienne was clever but she didn't remember that Charlie was a member of the largest and most powerful pack in the northern hemisphere. She didn't account for the sheer stubbornness of the Dubois bloodline and it had taken several days but Charlie's body had healed the tumors and it was Lynx who gave her the extra strength to make her heart beat again. Victor's voice brought her out of her own thoughts and he filled her in with the information he learned over the last few days.

-0-

"Francois isn't my father?" I asked Victor, confused.

"Nope. Sorry, Kitten." He checked the rearview mirror with a glance.

Shaking my head to clear the befuddled mess going on inside, I turned the conversation back to Roxie. "How do we get rid of the virus she's infected with?"

Victor pulled a capped syringe from his pocket and handed it to me. "Give that to Roxie and she'll be fine. Swiped it out of Julienne's lab on the way out."

Opening the glove box, I slipped the syringe inside and closed it before scooting closer to Victor. He glanced at me for a moment before looking back at the road. When I started to nuzzle his ear, he groaned. "Damn it, Kit. I'm driving."

"I'm not stopping you." I purred, my tongue darting out to lick his neck. My hand slid down his chest to his thigh, squeezing gently. He groaned again, clutching the steering wheel tighter and I could hear it crack. "Is it too late to apologize for rejecting you?"

"Apologies don't mean shit." Victor said. "You still reject me?"

"No." I breathed, tracing his jawline with my nose. His breathing hitched when I scooted closer, pressing myself against him.

"Damn straight." The response was typical of Victor. "We're gonna save the kid and then you're mine."

"I was always yours."

-0-

The estate loomed over us before much longer and it was overrun by Julienne's thugs. The pack was dispatching them easily enough and Victor and I only got to kill a dozen or so before we made it inside. I could smell fear mixed with Roxie's scent and we followed it, finding Roxie and Pierre in his study, Julienne perched on his desk daintily. She was trying to reason with Roxie. "Come, my sweet. Don't you want to help your Mama?"

"Get away from my daughter." I enunciated each word carefully as I stalked closer, Victor close behind me. Looking at Pierre I asked, "Are you all right?"

"Quite well, my dearest diamond." Pierre answered, a tearful shine to his eyes and a relieved smile on his lips.

"If it isn't my mate's bastard child." Julienne sneered, taking a handful of Roxie's curls and yanking. Roxie cried out in pain and Victor roared. "Let us pass or I'll kill her."

"Are you okay, Roxie?" I asked her. She had been crying and she whimpered instead of answering.

"Mommy, I'm scared."

"There's no need to be scared, baby." I was inching closer and closer to her, my hand extended to my daughter and Lynx waiting to be let free. The only reason she wasn't free at the moment was because I didn't want to frighten Roxie. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Roxie nodded fearfully, fresh tears falling down her cheeks.

"Look at me, kid." Victor said and she did, holding his gaze while he crouched, getting to her eye level. "Start walking towards me."

"I-I can't." Roxie sobbed, using a free hand in an attempt to yank her hair free. Julienne tightened her grip, unmoved by the young girl's tears.

"You can." Victor assured her.

"Julienne, stop this nonsense at once!" Pierre barked at his mate. "I command you."

Julienne threw her head back and laughed. "The great Alpha commands me? I don't think so, my love. I'm giving the orders now and I command that you let me and the brat pass."

Pierre considered her words then sighed. "And no harm will come to her?"

"What?" I shouted while Victor growled, "Are you shittin' me?"

"No harm will come to the girl as long as we aren't followed." Julienne said.

"Then go."

"Papa!" Roxie cried out in betrayal. Julienne pulled her forward and I braced myself to attack.

"Let her pass, Charlotte." Pierre said.

"I won't let her take my girl."

"We haven't a choice." Pierre tried to reason. I looked at him angrily and saw his expression was begging me to trust him. He had yet to lead me astray so, against my instincts, I moved out of Julienne's way. Julienne dragged Roxie out of the study and realized too late that Rogue had been waiting for her. Stepping behind the bitch who stole my daughter, Rogue put her ungloved hand on Julienne's bare neck. As Julienne struggled to breathe and hold on to her life, Roxie slipped away, running into my arms. When Rogue had weakened Julienne enough, Christien stepped up and clamped iron manacles around her wrists.

"You have committed treason against the pack. The only reason you are not being sentenced to death is because Pierre wishes it." Christien informed her as he led her to the dungeon. "You will be imprisoned for the rest of your life here."

I squeezed Roxie closer than I had thought was possible, shushing her cries and wiping the tears from her cheeks. I remembered the syringe as I held her and moved away so I could look in her eyes. "I have something that will get rid of the voices, Roxie. It'll make you the way you were before."

She cringed when she saw the needle. "It's going to hurt!"

"Just a bit but then the voices will be gone." I reasoned with her. She reached for Victor, who clutched her hand as I administered the shot. Roxie's eyebrows knitted together then relaxed.

"It's better, Mommy."

I looked around at my family and held her close. "It's much better, Roxie."

-0-

_Six months later_

Phoenix did manage to get away and Pierre said she was merely a pawn, same as Victor. Personally, I think they should both be held responsible for their actions. Rogue and Christien have developed a courtship of sorts, he stopping by New York to visit her while she's in school and she coming to our estate when there were holiday breaks. I expect an announcement from them within six months, honestly. James and I remained close but he still harbored a lot of anger against Victor, so I didn't get to see him much. The last time I saw him, he had mentioned an Elizabeth. She was human but she saw mutants as equal, something that we don't see a lot of. He's promised to bring her to Roxie's birthday party next week.

Victor and I have made up, mostly. It's hard not to get angry at the most infuriating man in the universe but we manage. He's been a lot easier to get along with now that I'm pregnant again. Soon Roxie will have a brother or sister and Victor keeps swearing that he's gonna have a "boy to help even out the damn estrogen overdose". We know that there will be more attacks on mutants either from mutants or from humans but there's a warning issued: if you harm our pack, you will not live to regret your decision.

**A/N: That's the end of the story, everyone. It may seem a bit abrupt but there wasn't really anywhere else to go with the plot now. Thanks to everyone who had read/favoritied/followed/reviewed. You guys made this story possible. Please review because they're always appreciated. :)**


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